This class was no less exciting than the others with innovation in case study facilitation presented in video format (great job Lawrence and Jordan!), and heated debate over the merits of remote physician-patient contact. I just have to say that I thought it was a great idea to use a different medium for facilitation since the long drawn out presentations, while informative, can be hard to follow after 3 hours of intense conversation. There are my two cents on that!
As for the idea of email, phone, and other types of remote communication between doctor and patient, I have mixed opinions. I think this could really facilitate relationships and efficiency in doctor-patient care, if done right. On the other hand it could distance people more than they already are, potentially depersonalizing communication. Ultimately, with the right balance I think this could really work. Email and sites like Myspace have actually brought people together, albeit in a way people 20 years ago probably couldn't have imagined. This would necessitate some multi-tasking on the part of certain office personnel, but it may also create new jobs and allow doctors and other medical professionals to help more people who need care. The home monitoring linked to online vitals tracking presented in the case study video seemed to be a great solution to many problems relating to seeing patients with serious conditions who can't all be seen at once. At the same time, it gives them the ability to monitor their own progress and take some responsibility in overcoming their illness. Because of this, I am in favor of these progressions in health communication.
Of course steps would have to be taken to make sure patients were still seen in person periodically and to prevent abuse of the system. But I guess this is like any other technological augmentation of a system. Check and balances are in order.
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5 comments:
Robyn, I also think Internet and websites like myspace, facebook really bring people together. Look at us how much we are in contact. Not just at school but also we are constantly in touch via blogs, skype, email, etc..
I believe in the near future Dr.s will be more in touch with their patients via Internet, which makes both parties’ life easier, but as you mentioned it is important to have the personal interaction periodically. Lets hope for better and accessible prospect between patients and Doctors.
Hey Robyn,
Your blog looks beautiful and you are on the right track with your collaborative ideas.
I agree with your statements. There is just so much potential out there in the world in the face of globablization, but human nature will always try to find the easy way out to make profits, so we need to make sure our governments are well-equipped to provide adequate checks and balances.
hey robyn, i agree too. it's amazing how many "laggards" there are in high places--people who are just very wary of any sort of change. it seems to me that the challenges you mentioned are often used as reasons not to act, instead of adopting a can-do attitude and working the kinks out along the way. if we are truly convinced that telemedicine has the potential to benefit populations in the future, we should figure out ways to make it work instead of arguing with reasons why it won't.
Robyn, sounds like so many interesting things are going on in class... im sorry to be missing them.
Internet communications for doctors and patients seem like a great advancement. If virtual appointments could be made waiting times could be diminished and both the doctor's and patient's time could be used more effectively. At the same time, it is a little scary... patient privacy can become an issue, and the minimal face to face contact may increase the risk for false diagnosis or treatment.
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