You have a scratchy throat, you're running a mild fever and it is after 5 p.m. Your doctor's office is closed, you don't feel sick enough for the emergency room, and there is no urgent care center nearby. But you don't have to wait until morning because the technology that gave us video calls and texting allows you to have a video consultation with a physician or other healthcare professional.
Healthcare systems and health insurance companies are beginning to offer video consultations for routine health problems. The hope is that these video house calls will save money in the long-run by offering consumers a quick way to have a health problem checked out before it develops into something worse and by keeping such minor problems out of the emergency room. There is also hope that video consultations can relieve pressure on primary care systems in underserved rural and urban areas.
A video conference "doctor's office" is cheaper to operate than a brick-and-mortar facility. A video consultation costs less than using the emergency room for primary care or visits to a doctor's office
The idea of meeting with a physician, nurse practitioner, or other healthcare professional is becoming more accepted as people become more familiar with video conferencing services like Skype and Facetime. But not everyone is fully onboard with the idea. Some doctors do not approve of video conference call because they do not allow a doctor to fully examine the patient, which gives the doctor physical contact and the ability to see other aspects of the patient beyond the screen. The success of the conference also depends on the patient accurately telling the physician correct information, such as body temperature.
Still, video conferencing is catching on. Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia allows patients to have video follow-ups with certain specialists. Mount Sinai Health System in New York allows primary care patients to have video visits. Mercy in St. Louis will go beyond primary care, with a virtual care center for chronically ill and high risk patients how require frequent assessments. The insurer United Healthcare will cover virtual visits for most of its 26 million members by next year and Anthem is following suit.
