3 ms·

I wonder how telemedicine can change and help situations like these; whereby medical providers are more accessible through telecommunications.

• dazc 9y ago
  We already have a version of this, it's called NHS direct. You explain your symptoms and the person at the other end of the line runs through a set of scripted questions. Real life example: I phoned once when a friend of mine thought he was having a heart attack. Some of the questions were pertinent, some not (such as: could your friend be pregnant?). After 10 minutes it was decided he wasn't having a heart attack and should make an appointment to see his GP. I believe it is possible to escalate the call to a medical professional if you know the system.
  • dpflan 9y ago
    Thanks for sharing. Did you interact with a human on the phone? Is 10 minutes too long a time for a possible emergency condition like that?
    • dazc 9y ago
      Yes it was a human but she obviously had no medical training, just asking scripted answers. Ten minutes is far too long. If someone thinks they are having a heart attack this should set a red flag for immediate professional attention? Having a professional always dealing with these calls would be the ideal but, I guess, you get back to the shortage of qualified staff problem. Also, maybe, making access easier will also encourage people to use the service more often - maybe for trivial issues too. So you end up making things even worse? I am 52 and when I was a child my parents could call our doctor at any time, even if he was at home in the middle of the night. He would come out straight away, no question. The assumption was if you had taken the trouble to call it must be serious. Often it wasn't but with children you can't take chances.