We live in a world of unprecedented connectivity – we can contact with family and friends in seconds, argue with total strangers on Facebook, and even chat to a celebrity on the other side of the world through Twitter.
Yet when it comes to speaking to a doctor, things seem to be firmly stuck in the 20th century. We’ve all experienced the 8am “phone war” to book a GP appointment – and the long wait in the surgery when the previous appointment runs overtime.
The good news is that this is all about to change. We’re on the cusp of a revolution in doctor appointments that will see a huge portion of us speaking to our doctor on the phone or via video chat. This is what you need to know:
1. Remote consultations will be available to everyone in the UK within 5 years
The NHS long term plan includes a set of five major, practical changes it aims to bring about over the next five years. One of these changes is to give every person in the UK the right to a telephone or online GP consultation.
There are 307 million GP consultations in the UK every year – meaning on average, you’ll go to the GP five times in a year. The introduction of phone and online consultation promises to make a huge difference to the cost of running the NHS, as well as save all of us a great deal of time.
2. Remote consultations won’t replace all GP consultations
Although you’ll have the right to a phone or online consultation, you’ll still be able to book a face-to-face consultation if you want one. There will always be some situations where you need to be in the GP surgery. For example, you might need a medical examination, or you might need to have certain tests. An remote consultation, on the other hand, is ideal for follow-up consultations or advice about the side effects of medication.
3. People in remote areas will benefit the most
It’s all too often the case that those who need the most support are unable to get themselves to the doctor from where they live. Certainly the problem has worsened in the last ten years – despite the population getting older, the UK has 3,000 fewer bus routes now than it did in 2010. Remote consultations could prove a lifeline to those who are effectively cut off from their local GP or walk-in clinic.
We’ve also seen many services – particular mental health services – become more centralised across the country. If outpatient services become digitalised as well, patients will be able to return home sooner and avoid costly trips to the clinic for follow-up appointments.
4. It’s much more than Skype
Video chat is no longer a new technology by any means: services such as Skype have been around for over 15 years now. So why haven’t remote consultations gone mainstream already?
The reason is there is actually a lot going on in a remote consultation. Both the patient’s and the doctor’s identities need to be verified in some way. The call itself needs to be encrypted end-to-end to ensure patient-doctor confidentiality. Online consultations often need to be recorded because it forms part of your medical record. Finally, the quality of the video and audio needs to be very high so that the doctor can understand what the patient is saying – and vice versa.
It’s only been in recent years that we’ve seen platforms emerge which can achieve all of this. These platforms have been built specifically with patient-doctor consultations in mind.
5. You can try it out now
Even though the NHS rollout is five years away, there are a number of services and pilot schemes offering remote consultations, right now, in the UK.
GP at Hand allows you to register with an NHS GP if you live within a certain distance of one of the scheme’s clinics. You’ll be able to access a GP via your phone as well as face-to-face consultations. Click here to check if you are eligible.
Pushdoctor is another remote consultation service giving you the ability to speak with a GP online. The consultations are private rather than NHS and involve a fixed cost per appointment. Click here to learn more.
Finally, Top Doctors’ e-Consultation service is the only service offering remote consultations with specialist consultants. This means you can speak to a leading specialist right away, via video chat or instant messaging, without a GP referral. Prices vary depending on the charges set by a consultant. Click here to find a specialist offering e-Consultation.
There are so many advantages to online consultations. It’s time we take advantage of the technology available to us. Thanks for sharing.