Internet services provide low-cost basic healthcare consultations.
The Wall Street Journal (3/5, Lawton) reports, "Some new low-cost services have popped up on the Internet with the aim of providing basic healthcare consultations more cheaply and easily. In January, American Well Inc. went live with a Web service that allows patients to communicate with doctors via online video, text chat, or phone." SwiftMD, which "launched in November," allows patients to "make an appointment at any time to speak with a doctor over the phone or through online video chat." Physicians "call or connect on average within a half an hour of when the appointment was made." According to the Journal, "The new services offer the convenience of online consultations, but they still have their drawbacks. Since physician-licensing regulations and health plans vary from state to state, the availability of electronic consultations is limited." In addition, "some patients may be reluctant to confide in a stranger -- even one with a medical degree -- or have concerns about the privacy and safekeeping of their records online."
Are we going to be subject to this?
I for one, don't plan to be involved. I like seeing patient's in the office. So much of diabetes care in particular involves patient rapport that would be difficult on-line.
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