4 ms·
I’m curious - What would it look like if you were accustomed to remote communication with your doctor(s) and handled most follow ups that way and then suddenly
by finaliteration 8y ago
I’m curious - What would it look like if you were accustomed to remote communication with your doctor(s) and handled most follow ups that way and then suddenly your doctor says, “You should come chat in person” if you know you have some results pending that could lead to a serious diagnosis? My first thought would be that it’s terrible news, and if that were the case I’d rather rip the band-aid off and just hear it via Skype instead of waiting a week to see the doctor in person. Maybe it’s less personal, but for me it would be less anxiety-inducing and give me a chance to start processing immediately.
That being said - I agree that the empathetic and emotional aspects are lost when communicating remotely. Heck, I already feel that even in a work setting. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like when handling a crisis.
- rootusrootus 8y agoThat already happens. My mom had cancer a few years back, and it is immediately obvious after a follow-up test whether something is serious or not based purely on how quickly you hear about it. Doctor calls the same day, then something is bad. Takes a few days to get back to you with results, then there's nothing to worry about.
- danso 8y agoI think if it were the case that you and the doctor were already apart -- e.g. you were at home -- then you would be fine with a remote discussion because you implicitly know that the doctor is not actually in your home. The OP article describes a situation where the patient is waiting in the intensive care unit.