Article - "Primary care about to collapse, physicians warn"

[PlasticMan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060130/hl_nm/usa_dc

 

[DrBowtie]

Email consultations for money. Interesting.

 

[DO Sigma Nu guy]

great article

 

[oldManDO2009]

I think "email" consultation and recommendations is a great idea. It would have to include a face to face visit/physical to develop a relationship and base line findings. Then a software product that allows physicians to respond and provide "e-teaching" to a patient with a reimbursement scheme developed by payors/physicians would bring about some need reform to the over-crowded doctors office. There would have to be safe-guards but I can easily envision the process.

BTW if there are any big software companies that need an e-savvy consultant - give me a call

 

[Beau Geste]

I don't think e-mail is a very good primary method of communication with your doctor when you need a diagnosis. There are too many risks involved without seeing a patient live. I'm even leery of telephone consultations and the efficacy of them.

True, something has to be done, but I worry that an e-mail system will lead to more malpractice claims or fraud.

 

[LusuR]

Do articles like these make you want to go into primary care (because it's needed) or avoid it (because it's a pain in the ass)?

 

[JohnnyOU]

Do articles like these make you want to go into primary care (because it's needed) or avoid it (because it's a pain in the ass)?

makes me want to enter it

 

[PlasticMan]

Perhaps so many medical graduates avoiding primary care will eventually create a great demand for primary care eventually increasing the compensation of GP's drawing more physicians to it, until we reach the stage we are at now, and then cycle all over again. 🙄

 

[LT2]

True, something has to be done, but I worry that an e-mail system will lead to more malpractice claims or fraud.

i agree, i think the potential for malpractice suits from email "visits" is scary...