Physician Benjamin Brewer in the Wall Street Journal today advocates using the Internet as a safe, efficient way to cover about 20 percent of his routine, in-person office visits, thus eliminating the hassle and inconvenience of visiting a doctor’s office for something relatively minor.
He writes:
I think 20% of my routine office visits could be handled safely and less expensively over the Internet. There is nothing magical about the four office walls that make face-to-face visits superior. Demanding an in-person visit for every little thing is based on tradition and consensus opinion — not science.
How likely are you, as a physician, to try this kind of patient interaction? Do you feel it’s safe and reliable? What about patients? Are they willing to seek routine, simple help through the Internet? I certainly would! The question remains, however, is if insurance companies and the government are willing to reimburse for it.