This is not an accident:
By simply being asked “Is this an emergency?”, many contacts with the physician are eliminated. Patients often call their doctor because they do not know if the issue is serious enough to be considered an emergency or not. This “filtering” technique does not serve the interests of the patient. Procedural barriers limiting contact with doctors cannot be in the physicians’ best interests either.
Phone calls are not reimbursed. Every minute on the phone takes away from face-to-face contact with the patient. Insurers only pay for office visits, hence the reason why many physicians avoid telephone medicine.
