Hybrid practice

[raj121b]

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Hi Folks -

Want to get your thoughts on whether a hybrid practice (70% telemedicine, 30% in person) with patient panel/continuity is something which might work
What do you feel are the biggest barriers to something like this?

Appreciate any feedback
Thanks

R

 

[YourMD]

This seems feasible, especially during pandemic times like these. Goodluck!

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

Just from personal experience although I'm sure results vary, I find the telemedicine visits cumbersome. Rarely have I seen it go truly seamlessly for my patients without some degree of technical difficulty. Trying to see more than a few of those while also trying to see in person visits would personally be quite chaotic and surely put me even further behind on my day. Televisits fall very short on anything but a standard chronic illness follow up. Abdominal pain/ SOB/ Headache/Dizziness/new onset Back pain/Dysuria, etc are IMPOSSIBLE to properly work-up without a personal visit.

I also see the increase in telemedicine as further eroding what it means to be a Family Doctor, but that's a conversation for a different day.

 

[AMEHigh]

Well there are a lot of barriers to telemedicine. Translation is very difficult on video visits I’ve found. Many people don’t have stable internet connections. Many people have difficulty logging into an app for the visit, etc.

As a doctor I’m not a huge fan of televisits. Sure they’re kinda nice for something like you changed a BP med and want to check in to see how things are going, but for a lot of other things it’s cumbersome.

But yes if you want to do it, the market is probably there to make it work.

 

[deleted87716]

But yes if you want to do it, the market is probably there to make it work.

IMO, now that most primary care physicians are able to offer (and get paid for) telemedicine visits in their own practices, the demand for dedicated telemedicine providers is likely to decrease. Plus, accessing any significant volume of patients outside your own practice without being part of some sort of network (e.g., Teladoc) would be next to impossible.

 

[raj121b]

Thanks for the input everyone. To clarify, I was talking about transitioning one's own practice to being majority telemedicine (your own patients, chronic diseases or some acute conditions) and certain % of in person visits - physicals, etc - was wondering if something like that would be feasible

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Thanks for the input everyone. To clarify, I was talking about transitioning one's own practice to being majority telemedicine (your own patients, chronic diseases or some acute conditions) and certain % of in person visits - physicals, etc - was wondering if something like that would be feasible

Sure. Lots of DPC doctors were doing a good bit of telemedicine prior to COVID.

 

[raj121b]

Thanks everyone for your comments

 

[Keona]

I really like telemedicine for my patients. I’m family medicine but the majority of what I do I’m doing based on history and talking. To the patient more than my exam. I don’t have to wait for the patient to show up 10 minutes late and get roomed and I feel more in control of my schedule on days when I have lots of telehealths. I really hope they allow it to continue.