By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    HIPPA compliance
    How Medical Office Staff Can Make Your Practice HIPAA Compliant
    October 29, 2021
    Everything you need to know about hyaluronic acid treatment
    Everything you need to know about hyaluronic acid treatment
    February 10, 2022
    Which Mushroom Capsules Are Good for Your Health?
    May 5, 2022
    Latest News
    3 Ways To Deal With Health Issues In Cities With High Pollution
    March 22, 2023
    What Tools Should Your Caregiver Have?
    March 22, 2023
    How to Combat Home Sickness After Moving Abroad
    March 19, 2023
    4 Ways to Recover from a Broken Hip
    March 14, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    medications-cure-tablets-pharmacy-56612.jpeg
    Using Digital Technologies to Solve Pharma’s Cost of Care Crisis
    September 26, 2017
    How To Avoid A Failed Drug Test When Taking CBD
    November 27, 2019
    Overview of the FDA Approval Process
    February 5, 2021
    Latest News
    3 Ways to Improve the U.S. Healthcare System By 2030
    March 14, 2023
    6 Steps To Ensure Speed And Efficiency Of Clinical Studies
    March 14, 2023
    5 Most Valuable Healthcare Programs in 2023
    March 8, 2023
    The Everest Foundation’s Mission to Support Inclusive Healthcare
    February 24, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Please Choose ’1′ for Dr. X or ’2′ for Dr. Y for Your Telemedicine Consult
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Latest News
health issues for office workers
Biggest Health Issues Office Workers Need to Content With
News
pollution impact on health
3 Ways To Deal With Health Issues In Cities With High Pollution
Health
caregiver importance
What Tools Should Your Caregiver Have?
Medicare
boost body energy level
The Best Natural Ways to Boost Your Body Energy & Focus
Wellness
virtual reality in optometry
What Are the Implications of Virtual Reality in Optometry?
Technology
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Please Choose ’1′ for Dr. X or ’2′ for Dr. Y for Your Telemedicine Consult
eHealth

Please Choose ’1′ for Dr. X or ’2′ for Dr. Y for Your Telemedicine Consult

rdowney14
Last updated: 2012/12/01 at 9:06 AM
rdowney14
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

While most doctors are cautious as they embark on a telemedicine program, others are plunging right in, seeing and treating unfamiliar patients.

While most doctors are cautious as they embark on a telemedicine program, others are plunging right in, seeing and treating unfamiliar patients.

At least one private insurance company is using its website to advertise for patients, telling them they can get a diagnosis and even a prescription, 24/7.  All the patients have to do is log on and select a physician.  If they are new to the Web site, they probably have never seen the stable of doctors before.  Granted, studies have shown a telemedicine visit is just as effective as one in-person.  What I have yet to see is a peer-review study that a physical examination done telemedically is the same as one done in-person.  Personally, I don’t think there’s any difference as long as guidelines are developed, approved and followed.  Without them, we can’t expect states that require an in-person physical exam and complete medical history for the establishment of the doctor-patient relationship to modify their statutes and rules so the exam requirement can be accomplished via videoconference.

Physicians who prescribe prescription medication to unfamiliar patients run the risk of a medical board inquiry because their actions could be interpreted as “Internet prescribing,” a no-no in all but one state.  Some would argue this is the same as a physician’s colleague taking emergency calls from his patients on weekends.  Au contraire mon frere!  The patient calling the doctor who is covering for his colleague already has a doctor-patient relationship with the physician who is away.  Even then, stand-in physicians are very cautious about prescribing, let alone diagnosing the patient’s condition.

More Read

tips to design a health app

How To Improve Patient Access Metrics

5 Ways Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health
6 Innovative Technologies Making Medical Diagnostics More Predictive
A Guide to Medical Billing Services for Small Practices
Are Online Doctor’s Appointments a Trend or New Reality?

Regarding guidelines for physician exams done telemedically to establish the doctor-patient relationship, I suggest that they require a licensed healthcare professional on the patient end to act as the “patient presenter.”  The presenter could be a physical therapist if licensed and trained in exams.  Some states license medical assistants.  Whether it’s a clinic or doctor’s office setting, a nurse normally takes and records your vital signs and jots down your complaint so the doctor doesn’t waste time doing that.  For a telemedicine physical exam, these should be required and provided to the remote physician.  In fact, much of the patient’s medical history can be documented by the presenter in advance of seeing the doctor.

At the request of the physician, presenters should be able to palpate glands or areas of the body where patients experience pain and report what and where the problem seems to be.  It’s helpful if the physician can control the main video camera to watch what is being done.  If the patient has moles, or other skin issues, these should be memorialized with a separate examination camera that can provide close-ups and with image automation software that can pause the video and save the images.  The telemedicine system must also have the ability to share the images live with the remote physician and then preserve them in the patient’s electronic medical record for review at a later date.

The telemedicine system is another tool a doctor can use to extend his practice into areas where there is a shortage of primary care providers.  A kind of fear of the unknown tends to hold doctors back from considering a telemedicine aspect to their practices.  If these new insurance company business models gain popularity and bring in outside doctors via the Internet, physicians may have to get into telemedicine to compete.

Still, without those guidelines for examining new patients, I fear we could easily see some bad outcomes or unintended consequences due to the “wild west” pursuit of patients.

TAGGED: telemedicine

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
rdowney14 December 1, 2012
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article sleep apnea Dentistry and Sleep Apnea
Next Article Health Insurance is Expensive; I’m Glad Folks are Finally Learning the Truth

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

health issues for office workers
Biggest Health Issues Office Workers Need to Content With
News March 22, 2023
pollution impact on health
3 Ways To Deal With Health Issues In Cities With High Pollution
Health March 22, 2023
caregiver importance
What Tools Should Your Caregiver Have?
Medicare March 22, 2023
boost body energy level
The Best Natural Ways to Boost Your Body Energy & Focus
Wellness March 22, 2023

You Might also Like

telemedicine business feature benefits
TechnologyTelemedicine

Building Telemedicine System: Features and Tips

December 28, 2022
telehealth or telemedicine
Telemedicine

How Much Does It Cost to Implement Telemedicine?

December 4, 2022
costs and benefits of telemedicine apps
TechnologyTelemedicine

Telemedicine App Development Cost & Key Features

November 24, 2022
healthcare video marketing
MarketingSocial Media

How to Maintain a Successful YouTube Channel as a Healthcare Organization: Advantages of Video Marketing for your Medical Practice

November 9, 2022
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?