Teleconsulting - does it work?
False
General clinical
Teleconsulting - does it work?
Discuss any specialty in this open forum for all healthcare professionals
I've been working as a GP in Australia for the past 4 years having moved over from the UK. The Government over here is putting money into teleconsults to allow patients to call specialists when using
0
Cat:OpenClinicalForum:GeneralClinical
Cat:OpenClinicalForum:GeneralClinicalDiscussion:9eaa5ea0-e439-4049-a712-48efa5ddbe04
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Teleconsulting - does it work?
|
Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 5/7/2012 2:49 PM BST
on bmj.com
|
Posts: 4
First: 5/7/2012 Last: 15/7/2012 |
I've been working as a GP in Australia for the past 4 years having moved over from the UK. The Government over here is putting money into teleconsults to allow patients to call specialists when using Skype at the GP practice. What are peoples thoughts on the topic. Which specialties would it be feasible to offer teleconsulting?
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 5/7/2012 3:48 PM BST
on bmj.com
|
|
Posts: 4
First: 5/7/2012 Last: 15/7/2012 |
It could be useful for patients to call and speak to the doctor online - a form of triage I suppose. Getting people to use Skype may be a different matter as not everyone is totally IT literate! |
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 5/7/2012 10:05 PM BST
on bmj.com
|
Posts: 3008
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 20/6/2013 |
I have staarted to use it for provincial people as patients here are used to travelling twenty light-years for a consult in the big smoke and drive back the same day. This is in its infancy but I think it will revolutionise medicine for those in the bush. I did a consult for a patient 800 miles away about a sleep problem and his suitability to drive again. It took me 45 mins. Medicare has incentive payments for consultants and although I was paid less that if he had been in my office, it saved him a 1600 mile plane trip, ten thousand gallons of Avgas, two one hour taxi fares etc etc. My consult cost him nil $. We have Medicare. I think the next development will be teleconferences. I have a meeting coming up in the USA for three days. For me to travel 40 hrs in a plane etc etc for three days does not add up. I think that teleconsults will work better for some conditions than others. For those you have seen at least once in person, I see great application. I often see patients who have flown from Melbourne or Perth to see me. Perth is 3,000 miles west and two time zones different. Teleconsults make sense.
|
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 6/7/2012 9:22 AM BST
on bmj.com
|
Posts: 3059
First: 27/3/2012 Last: 13/6/2013 |
Teleconsulting is a good idea which incorporates the modern technical advances into the medicine. It does help patients in need & located in a remote area to quickly gain assess to a specialist. Conversly, the doctors may also have intercommunication quickly regarding a complex medical situation. |
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 6/7/2012 12:46 PM BST
on bmj.com
|
Posts: 45
First: 18/5/2009 Last: 9/4/2013 |
It works for mentoring so it could work too for consultations with the following provisos: It would certainly work for an initial consultation especially in combination with Skype if necessary. The down side of course if when you want to feel for a lump or a bump or closely examone a physical sign.... However an area where it is extremely useful is for mentoring doctors. It gives the mentor and mentee the possibility to be metored by someone living anywhere and save on fuel and time too. I wrote an article with some practical tips about teleconsulting published in BMJ careers a few years ago: http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=1483 |
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 6/7/2012 2:12 PM BST
on bmj.com
|
|
Posts: 233
First: 15/5/2012 Last: 11/6/2013 |
In Response to Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?: I have staarted to use it for provincial people as patients here are used to travelling twenty light-years for a consult in the big smoke and drive back the same day. This is in its infancy but I think it will revolutionise medicine for those in the bush. I did a consult for a patient 800 miles away about a sleep problem and his suitability to drive again. It took me 45 mins. Medicare has incentive payments for consultants and although I was paid less that if he had been in my office, it saved him a 1600 mile plane trip, ten thousand gallons of Avgas, two one hour taxi fares etc etc. My consult cost him nil $. We have Medicare. I think the next development will be teleconferences. I have a meeting coming up in the USA for three days. For me to travel 40 hrs in a plane etc etc for three days does not add up. I think that teleconsults will work better for some conditions than others. For those you have seen at least once in person, I see great application. I often see patients who have flown from Melbourne or Perth to see me. Perth is 3,000 miles west and two time zones different. Teleconsults make sense. Posted by Odysseus Odysseus: Is Medicare in Australia somewhat similar to Medicare in the US?. |
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 9/7/2012 10:19 AM BST
on bmj.com
|
Posts: 1
First: 9/7/2012 Last: 9/7/2012 |
Am all for if used in a correct clinical context Ideally this should be for rural and remote patients (Australian context) I think we need to work through some clinical guidelines especially for our Registrars There is a risk of General Practice being 'dumbed -down' if everyone thinks its just too easy to get access! F |
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 11/7/2012 3:43 AM BST
on bmj.com
|
|
Posts: 3008
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 20/6/2013 |
In Response to Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?: In Response to Re: Teleconsulting - does it work? : Odysseus: Is Medicare in Australia somewhat similar to Medicare in the US?. Posted by Happy I am not sure. Oz Medicare is a universal health insurance which provides a basic fee reimbursal at the coal face eg GP, specialists and also public hospital cover which entitles one essentially to a NHS style service. However, 40% also have additional private cover which is for private hospital and inpatient services. No politician, even Labor ones elect for public treatment as their political beliefs aren't that rigorous. Our nurses don't wear black stocking, white aprons and blue tunics, nor curtsy to consultants and the matron and aspire to "marrying up" to a doctor. Wards are in general not long drafty halls viz. the Crimean War with a nurse in a veil called sister at one end. However, apart from that we are similar. Our generals are better than Lord Cardigan and no male wears a cardigan other than a Gen Y metrosexual or a man in a nursing home. I hope this steeple chase answers your question. |
|
|
Re: Teleconsulting - does it work?
posted at 11/7/2012 7:06 AM BST
on bmj.com
|
Posts: 19
First: 15/2/2012 Last: 11/7/2012 |
it is a good way to give some advices for the patients who live in the remote area or need diagnose immidately by teleconsulting,and it is also a good chance for the patients to get a meaningful answer from a specialist ,making more patient have a best medical serve. |
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Teleconsulting - does it work?
