More insurances are reimbursing for e-consults:
When Tamara McCartney’s chronic sinusitis flared up this year, she knew she needed a prescription antibiotic.But instead of embarking on a long drive to the doctor’s office in St. Cloud, Fla., and missing as much as a half-day of work, she spent less than 15 minutes at home completing an online questionnaire from her doctor. The next day, her Avelox prescription was waiting at a nearby pharmacy.
“When I get sinus infections, I don’t have to go to the doctor’s office. It’s a lot more convenient,” said McCartney, a 32-year-old Orlando office manager.
I don’t see this taking off in today’s malpractice climate. Essentially you’re diagnosing without seeing the patient. I’d like to see what happens after a few well-publicized lawsuits.
Related posts:
- Online consultations
- Pharmacies in physician offices
- Patient information used for extortion
- Drug injections, declining reimbursement and patient inconvenience
- When your office manager steals, a doctor learns the hard way
- Diabetes and kids
- The next big thing in lawsuits
KevinMD.com on Facebook
{ 4 comments }
Not only is it diagnosing without seeing it is a difficult to sustain business model. While great service potentially for the patient, where is the cash for the doc. It did after all require some time, and does expose him to liability. But no remuneration.
Um, didn’t you read the article? She paid a $40 consult fee, and her health plan apparently is considering reimbursement for e-consults.
I agree it would be pretty risky to consult this way, especially for a patient you don’t know very well or a potentially risky situation. For established patients, though, with chronic, well-recognized problems, e-consults would probably be quite efficient.
It is instructive to see how we are using broad spectrum quinolones like Avelox for these cases of sinusitis. I believe it will also be instructive when we likely see an ever increasing number of antibiotic resistant superbugs present in the community over the next few years.
Let’s see
online consult + 10 days Avelox = approximately $40 + $65 = $105
office visit + 10 days Amoxicillin = approximately $65 + $9 = $74
office visit + 10 days Augmentin = approximately $65 + $30 = $95
Does this online medicine really save money?
I fail to see any relationship between online consults and the prescribing of expensive antibiotics that promote resistance and breed superbugs.
This doc might have prescribed Avelox whether the consult was online or in person.
If you redo the math, online consult + 10 days amoxicillin = $49. Online consult + 10 days Augmentin = $70.
Comments on this entry are closed.