doctor on call

June 2, 2010 at 10:39 am Leave a comment

Your friendly neighbourhood doctor is well, never more than just a call (or click) away. The NYT reports on the emergence of telemedicine.

Nothing can ever replace the human touch. However, combined with advances in mobile technology and if made affordable, telemedicine could change lives across the world, and make accessible healthcare a universal reality.

It’s about time.

A fifth of Americans live in places where primary care physicians are scarce, according to government statistics. That need is converging with advances that include lower costs for video-conferencing equipment, more high-speed communications links by satellite, and greater ability to work securely and dependably over the Internet.

Telemedicine has its skeptics. State regulators at the Texas Medical Board have raised concerns that doctors might miss an opportunity to pick up subtle medical indicators when they cannot touch a patient. And while it does not oppose telemedicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians says patients should keep in contact with a primary physician who can keep tabs on their health needs, whether in the virtual or the real world.