Virtual
Doctor Visits
If you think that doctors
prefer to skip the personal connections with their patients, you could be
wrong. Telemedicine is able to take hold in the same way that other, newer
technologies have. This is where video conferencing and data transfer through
mobile phones and Internet connect doctors to patients.
The idea seems to be late
not because of technical problems, expense or insufficient need. It seems
doctors are holding up the process. According to the New York Times, a recent study
by researchers at the Texas Medical School University in Houston examined the
impact of telemedicine on patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). While the
researchers had originally planned to study the effect of telemedicine on
mortality, complications and length of stay of patients in five different
hospitals they have inadvertently discovered the extent to which doctors were
reluctant to incorporate this technological change.
Others, including Rashid
Bashshur, director of telemedicine at the University of the health system, they
say online medicine is a less expensive way to provide routine check-up.
"The dispute that you want the 'laying on of hands' to practice medicine
is an old and tired argument that simply has no reliability," he said.
"There are two constants in medicine: change and resistance to
change."
A group of Texas offers
the virtual visits a private clinic to anyone in the state for about $ 50. The
system has much to recommend it. Patients can access, choose a doctor from
among those available, and have a conversation in an immediate real-time,
including as video conferencing. However, Texas law requires that before
doctors consult with patients or prescribe medications online or by phone, form
a relationship through means such as a physical examination.
Perhaps there is some
middle ground on health care and technology to meet. "My opinion is that
we want to provide the highest possible for our patients quality care,"
Dr. Eric Thomas a lead author of the study and director of the University of
Texas-Memorial Hermann Center for Health Quality and Safety, said. "In
some situations that could be a doctor is away, In the other, I do not think
that as long as we keep our eye on the ball - the ball being the patient -
we'll be all right in the end, we can divide our work in ways new and still do
what's best.”
ABOUT US
Mediklik is an online
healthcare portal which provides patients a virtual platform to get the doctor
consultation at home. Mediklik also provides other features like personal
health records, symptom checker, disease database and drug interaction tool.
