“Attorneys warn that virtual medicine — which has popped up in hospitals and clinics in more than a dozen states in the last two years — could open the floodgates to malpractice claims, privacy disputes and licensure problems.” (Tresa Baldas, National Law Journal, Jun. 9). Reader James Ingram writes:
This is infuriating. One of the understood failings of the U.S. health care system is the poor monitoring of patients with chronic conditions such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes and the resulting poor compliance with proven treatment regimes. Virtual medicine is a very promising solution to this problem, enabling patient and doctor to consult briefly and frequently without the inconvenience (to the patient) of making an office visit. In a five or ten minute web conference patient and doctor can discuss topics such as blood pressure or blood sugar readings, compliance with medication regimes, diet and exercise, symptoms and side effects experienced etc. without either having to leave home or office. Do we think we will get better results with the present system — where the patient must take time off from work, drive to the doctor’s office, wait and wait some more — and therefore doesn’t bother?
And that’s not even to mention the opportunities to reach patients who have difficulty making it to their doctor’s office because of age or disability or the opportunities for patients in small towns and rural areas to consult specialists in distant cities.
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Of course insurers are willing to pay for this form of patient-physician care. It is efficient for the doc so they are willing to accept a lower payment, it is efficient for the patient, who can accomplish in minutes what it would otherwise take at least half a day to do.
But beware of what comes next. Docs are blindly rushing into this area but once they establish the patient demand for this service then watch out. Insurers will find docs in India to work for less, and to cover the odd hours that patients might wish. Once patients are hooked on anonymous medicine the switch to offshore providers will be swift and sure. The only safe areas of medicine now are those that require the hands on provision of care, like surgery, anesthesia, and interventional radiology. The so called ‘cerebral’ areas are on a ship called the Titanic, only none have read the writing on the hull yet.
Prediction: Virtual housecalls and virtual rounding will lead to virtual medical malpractice lawsuits. Now,that would be a service to humanity.
The lawyer has granted himself immunity from accountability to adverse third parties. Look how his profession is growing and thriving. The same took place with the rails in the 19th Century. Government has immunity. It is exploding in size relative to the population and economy.
If virtual medicine is to grow for the sake of efficiency and greater access, it must be granted immunity. All patients with any common sense know that any condition difficult to diagnose and treat cannot be managed by email.