Boston - Medical appointments via smart phones that have downloaded an applet or via telephone texting are gaining favor with consumers that have full schedules. These new services can help you more quickly connect to your doctor.
Download the applet and after a few minutes you will be connected to a board-certified doctor. These doctors will provide a prescription to ease the symptoms you're contacted them for. And, they will give you a list of tips from the doctor about how to fight off future infections. One recent user says, "For me it was worth it to pay $40 to avoid spending two hours at the doctor's office."
Consumers seeking convenience and predictable prices are being driven to search for medical services that are available at extended hours and for a fixed fee. Critics of the service say there is no substitute for a face-to-face examination and a first hand diagnosis.
Employers and insurers are beginning to make these products offered in their benefits packages. Anthem Blue Cross, for instance, recently announced that policyholders would have access to video consultations through American Well for $49. The cost may be covered by insurance depending on the benefit plan. Web-based services combined with the ability to telephone text a doctor have increased your ability to reach a physician. First Opinion is a text-messaging service that connects patients within nine-minutes to a physician who can answer questions by responding in text message format. "We're meant to be the first place you go when you have a question," says McKay Thomas, First Opinion's chief executive officer. However, unlike video consultation, the doctors working with this service cannot give a prescription. What they give you instead is one text message consultation per month for free. If patients need more contact, they can buy it for $12, or get unlimited access for $25 per month.
Treatment via online video and text is convenient and cost-effective but not right for everyone or every situation. For example, if a person has a chronic condition these medical services are not for them. Online medical exams and retail clinics offer a convenient, low-cost alternative to long waits at primary care offices. These services may even help to avoid un-necessary trips to emergency rooms across the country. Like patients, some doctors are also finding new primary-care models appealing. They can get re-imbursed right away and avoid the red-tape of insurance contracts, says a Boston healthcare consultant. A web-based primary care service is one that uses technology like remote video medical examinations. This feature is offered by companies like Doctors on Demand, American Well, MD Live Inc., and Teledoc Inc. For a flat fee of roughly $40 to $50 patients can have a 15-minute visit with a licensed physician via smartphone, tablet, or computer. During the doctor's virtual visit the doctor can evaluate symptoms and offer a diagnosis (if appropriate) and prescribe a prescription if needed.
These medical services can also be useful when patients have been diagnosed with an illness and want a second opinion. See also, www.nejm.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment