Should Surgeons Meet Patients Online?
IMAGINE the ease. It’s 2 a.m. and you can’t stop thinking about your saggy midsection. You log on to SurgeonHouseCall.com and create a free patient profile declaring your wish to get a tummy tuck. You fill out a brief medical history and include photographs of the problem area. In no time, three plastic surgeons offer detailed opinions on the best course of action — with price quotes…
Dr. John W. Bachman, whose family practice department at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., did a two-year pilot study of more than 2,500 online consultations, said the aim should be to improve the standard of online care. One issue that plagues any doctor is that they sometimes forget to ask a crucial question. A computer asked patients in the pilot study questions tailored to find potential oversights.
NY Times, by Catherine Saint Louis, 1/20/10
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