Telemedicine: doctor visit online?



A ämedical treatment alone, via video chat or on the phone from the Sofa – sounds relaxed. But it can tatsäactually work?

In keeping with the theme äußour three experts in short video messages from Ren yourself

You were right erkädesigned? Then you might have thought also, how practical is it wäre, in the bed, the Laptop turn on with a doctor to chat köcan, so that you nöterm gets Sick?

Loosening of the remote treatment ban in sight

At least the therapy recommendation köcan patients soon via Chat. Since mid-may, the physicians agreed on the German Ärztetag für is a relaxation of the so-called remote treatment ban. Üthe Landes&auml accept;rztekammern the new regime in their Professional codes of – what to expect –, the Whole thing is also legally binding.

The heißt: Ädoctors düpatients may also ausschließlich über video chats, phone calls, texting or using Apps to treat, if you like this für is acceptable. And without you ever persöphotography taken.

Rethink thanks to modern technology

"The lifting of the remote treatment ban was längst überfällig", Dr. Markus M&uuml says;ash nich, pediatrician and Board member of the German Association for Internet medicine. Tatsäthe take the until recently, the ban was more than 120 years old. It came from a time in the "Fernbehandlung" still "Letters schreiben" hieß. "The digitization allows a doctor today, very quickly, a patient medical einzuschäwill appreciate, without him physically gegenüberzusitzen", is Mücal nich üassured.

There’s no question that You can &ouml the mouth into the Laptop camera;open, photos, and patient files can easily be digitally üforward and special Apps köcan even measure your heart rate. But digital diagnosis really so simple?

Meaningful ErgäSupplement

"A tele-medical treatment can erg&auml a visit to the family doctor makes sense;coins, but in no case ersetzen", the speaker of the German Haus&auml says;rzteverbands, Vincent Jörres.

In a practice &Auml investigate;doctors their patients with the Hä, perceive their smell and drain them of blood. "All of these are things that only persöpersonal contact möresembled are."

No Lösung für the läultimate Ärztemangel

So J&ouml believes;rres also not due to the fact that Online Äthe problem of Supply doctors to the country lösen köcan, as so often is praised. "Also für a tele-medical care needs it is enough Ärztinnen and Ärzte", he says. In addition, düyou rfe is just the äolder patients and patients with the new technology alone: they need care and instructions – also dafür benöneeded staff. Even the Fürsprecher Mücal nich says: "Remote treatment is not so easy." In order to secure diagnosis to gewäensure, need it especially training füto make r physicians, in which they learned, for example, in Online – or by phone-office hours to ask the right questions.

Often simple Ma&szlig sufficient;from took, to calm, for example, alerted parents: köit is nne of the father on the phone to ask: "Let your son time on a leg hübounce!" If a child can do it, there probably is no Blinddarmentzümaking. When in Doubt, führe’s but no way on the physical physician contact in the past.

More advantages than disadvantages

Fans of telemedicine will see significant benefits: Especially for patients who are not mobile or from näthe next specialist far away life, köa descendant of an Online consultation benefit. In rooms of Haus&auml wait;doctors müsse is not läViking from contagious diseases füfear, because the patients stayed at home.

And people with rare diseases bräto pilgrims visited for miles to the only specialists. Üin General köcould remote treatment unnöterm routes, and waiting times to spare.

In other Lächange is well-established telemedicine already

The experience from other Lächange and various studies seem to be many of these benefits to bestätransparent: In Switzerland, access to an in – house or fach&auml Insured have for almost 20 years, via our call centre round-the-clock;medical advice, and also in Scandinavian Lächange tele-medicine is because of the long distances über country to näthe next doctor popular.

Külower level waiting times for a specialist appointment

A straight line in the journal Annals of Family Medicine veröpublished canadian study shows that an online counselling service waiting times für fachämedical supply verkücan you gain. A study by the American College of Rheumatology found that specific Apps cost and Verzöwrestled in the treatment of Arthritis patients reduce köcan.

And, according to a Veröthe publication of the Harvard Medical School in the Journal JAMA plays telemedicine in the area of mental disorders in the United States on the country an increasingly important role.

Individual German model projects

However, experiences from Germany, there are hardly any. In Baden-Württemberg launched the Kassenämedical Association in April, zunäfirst, für two years, a telemedicine pilot project. By law, patients k&ouml insured;can Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 19 p.m., by App, online or by telephone contact with the so-called Docdirekt Center. A specially trained medical professional employee covered person, alien, as well as symptoms of the disease and klärt the urgent and life-threatening Notfäll be redirected to the Rescue. In other Fäcases, call a tele-doctor zurück and berät the patients in the video chat. Only if nötig, refers him to an on-duty practice.

In Schleswig-Holstein, Landes&auml has;medical Board the rules of their profession in April as the first in Germany, according to geächanges that Ädoctors patients without previous persöpersonal contact by phone or by Internet to advise dümay. And in Saxony köcan Ädoctors their patients from September ausschließvia remote treatment support.

A risk also für Ädoctors

In the new, some of the experts see less of a risk für the patient, as für the Ädoctors: "This very low-threshold access to a ämedical Council köcould natüof course also abused werden", the head of the &Auml says;medical Board of Schleswig-Holstein, Dr. Franz-Joseph Bartmann.

Despite the positive experience with the functioning of telemedicine systems in other Lächange befümany of his colleagues rchteten that patients now häsingle-stage with trivia to a doctor wu&#776 contact;authorities, für the no medical Expertise nötig. Schließthe H&uuml was;rde, for Höaccess rer was significantly lower than visit a doctor’s office.

Still many open questions

If the tele-medicine at the end of für the Ädoctors or für the patient the größeren brings more value, it will show. Many questions remain open: How recipes are supposed to be issued? You can write to patients via SMS sick? Due to legal regulations, both of which is not yet möpossible. Insurance cards easily on Webcam show &ndash although; but the health insurance is sure to come in für all of the costs?

To Löto find solutions, but there is still some time until the new decision of all Landesärztekammern in the respective professional order üis accepted, schäthe Pr&auml tzt;President of the Bundesämedical Board, it may take up to two years.

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