YOUR DOCTOR WILL SOON BE A CLICK AWAY

BY KATIE LUQUIRE – If you’ve ever been to an emergency room for a minor injury or ailment, you’ve likely waited hours on end for treatment. You also probably paid a large sum of money for your treatment.  Unfortunately, this is the result of a healthcare system that relies on visits to the emergency room, especially for low-income populations who may not be able to see a primary care physician for a problem that grows increasingly worse. The novel How We Do Harm shines a light on individuals like Edna Riggs, a fifty-three-year-old woman who has symptoms of breast cancer. However, because her employer would not let her take sick days, she didn’t see a doctor until her breast had fallen off due to her tumor and her cancer had spread. If there had been a way for her to see a doctor without taking a sick day, maybe Edna would have had a better outcome. One-fifth of Americans live in rural communities, where primary care is scarce and the only option for treatment is costly emergency facilities. However, telemedicine provides a solution to the barriers to treatment that plague our current system by generating an ongoing dialogue between patient and provider.

        In the advent of increases in technology, telehealth has emerged. This advance in medical technology is defined as the use of electronic communication to exchange medical information and deliver remote healthcare. Telehealth may be used in many aspects of medicine and covers a broad range of treatments. For example, telehealth includes online communication, appointments with a healthcare provider, and even includes online support groups. One of the most popular forms of telehealth is two-way communication between doctor and patient, where the patient describes his/her symptoms and the doctor determines the best course of treatment. Telemedicine allows you to see a doctor wherever you choose, and you are able to choose a doctor regardless of your location. Many illnesses, like respiratory illnesses and urinary tract infections, often require a simple specimen sample for diagnosis. An at-home test and a quick video chat allows a patient to quickly receive the medication that they need without spending hours in an office.

       Telehealth has the potential to change how we view medicine and to break down some of the barriers that prevent patients from seeing their healthcare provider. An article in the New York Times tells the story of Charlie Martin, a crane operator who complained of sharp pains in his lower back. While most of us would jump in the car and visit a local doctor, Charlie was working on an oil rig in Malaysia. Through two-way video and an electronic stethoscope, an emergency medicine physician was able to remotely diagnose Charlie with a kidney stone.

        Much of the focus of telehealth is being directed towards rural areas where primary care is scarce. For example, telemedicine has also allowed providers of emergency medicine to share ideas due to the ease of communication between rural doctors and trauma specialists in big cities. In fact, teletrauma technology is projected to connect every hospital with trauma facilities in the future and has already saved many lives. Victoria Corbett, a nursing student who is studying at the University of North Georgia is optimistic about the future of telehealth. “It’s really cool,” she says. “I think it will be used to help a lot of medically underserved areas connect with doctors”. Victoria also mentioned that she has seen telehealth in action in the ICU at Emory. According to their website, Emory’s Johns Creek location has partnered with AcuteCare to help stroke patients gain timely access to specialty neurological consultations via telemedicine in order to avoid the debilitating effects of stroke that occur due to late diagnosis.

       Through technology like the electronic stethoscope and video conferencing, patients are able to receive care no matter their location. However, while telehealth is gaining traction, it is not without drawbacks. While many insurance companies are starting to cover telemedicine, it is not as universally covered as face-to-face appointments. According to the American Telemedicine Association, thirty-four states require that private insurers cover telehealth the same as in-person services. However, states vary greatly in their coverage for Medicaid, and Medicare covers some services but not others. Additionally, because telemedicine is a new concept, there may not be adequate technology to diagnose a patient. This disconnect might lead to lower satisfaction by doctor and patient, and even worse health outcomes.

       Although, as technology improves, care will become more accessible and the patient-doctor relationship might even change for the better. Through telemedicine, patients who are not currently able to receive care will have better access to treatment, which will lead to better health outcomes for the nation as a whole. While doctor visits are currently an occasional experience, telemedicine could change the way we view medicine and even transform doctor-patient interactions into an ongoing conversation.