Generation of science and technology: The doc will Skype you now

Doctor visits are never fun. You have to sit in a crowded room full of people who are either way more sick than you are or just make you downright uncomfortable, and you never really get into the appointment at the time you have scheduled. Well, imagine being able to virtually visit your doctor. No driving, no hassle, no office experience. That’s right, it’s a thing. You’re able to visit your doc via webcam, or download the smartphone app which costs $49 per visit to be seen.
Now, people with simple common colds aren’t the only ones switching to televisits. Mark Matulaitis, a man diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, has his check-ups with his doctor via computer. If that’s not insanity, If those with serious issues who need pretty frequent medical check-ups benefit from televisits, I don’t see the problem.
Some of the difficulties surrounding televisits are the licenses. If you’re visiting with a doctor from another state through webcam, the doctor has to be licensed to practice not only in his or her own state, but yours as well. Additionally, a lot of health insurance companies do not pay for televisits, so it falls into your own pocket.
Telemedicine is becoming increasingly more popular. The most prominent company available in telemedicine is American Well, which is available in 44 states. Those who are using telemedicine are thrilled with the care. Not only are they able to see the doctor in their own environment, but it’s in a state where they are at their best, and don’t need to wait for a worst case scenario to go see their doctor.
Telemedicine is bringing those specialists to the people instead of the people having to do all the work themselves. These virtual visits try and stay very close to what a real visit would be like. You still have to give previous medical background, written consent, and all the other paperwork that goes along with medical issues.
Currently, one of the only real issues that has been posed with telemedicine is that may be “too convenient,” Ateev Mehrotra of Harvard, claims. By this he means it’s too convenient for people to get high-quality health care at a very low price. Why health care should be something that is outlandishly expensive is beyond me. The goal should be to keep people healthy, not to see how much money you keep milk from people’s sicknesses.
I truly believe telemedicine will be something that is very normal and accepted within the next few years. If you’re one of those people who downright hates going to the doctor, then you’re in luck.