As technology continues to advance, the current practice of the virtual house call may be the future of doctor-patient relationships, according to a recent article on Boston.com.
Communicating with patients via webcam is increasingly getting attention as a way to conveniently diagnose simple maladies, such as the cold or flu. One smartphone app lets consumers connect to a doctor for $49 a visit.
Some are calling this the future of medicine, but some states still restrict the kind of care and prescribing available via telemedicine, especially since doctors who practice by video-chat must be licensed in whatever states their long-distance patients live. While Medicare currently covers some forms of telehealth, it typically does not pay for in-home video exams.
There are other questions as well, including how to avoid overprescribing antibiotics.
Despite these hurdles, patient groups and technology advocates are pushing to expand the digital are to people with complex chronic diseases that make a doctor's trip more than just an inconvenience.
"Think of taking your mom with Alzheimer's to a big urban medical center," said Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center. "Just getting through the parking lot they're disoriented. That's the standard of care but is it what we should be doing?" Read the full article here:
The Doctor Will See You Now Via Webcam
Healthcare is constantly evolving. What was standard of care five years ago is often outdated today.
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