Exploring the Physician’s Perspective on Telehealth
As a key player in the digital health sphere, we at MomentMD have witnessed firsthand the potential of telemedicine. It has opened up a whole new world of accessibility and efficiency in healthcare.
While patients are generally enjoying its convenience, you may wonder, do doctors like telemedicine too? Let’s dive into this question.
{Image of a female doctor holding a HTC smartphone – Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash}
The Pros and Cons of Telemedicine: A Mixed Bag
The answer to whether doctors like telemedicine is a bit complex. Some physicians appreciate its potential while others have reservations.
The Pros:
A survey conducted by McKinsey suggested that physicians appreciate the increased accessibility and flexibility that telemedicine offers. By eliminating commuting, it provides better work-life balance and allows physicians to serve a broader patient base, including those in remote locations.
The Cons:
On the other hand, some doctors express concerns about the impersonal nature of virtual consultations and fear that the patient-doctor rapport might suffer. Technical difficulties and patient privacy concerns can further complicate the switch to digital health.
The survey also found that while 55% of patients were more satisfied with telehealth care over in person care, only 32% of providers felt the same, with some describing it as “less fulfilling” than in-person appointments.
Source: McKinsey Physician Surveys and McKinsey Consumer Surveys, 2020-21
{Alt text: An infographic showing the differing perspectives patients and physicians have on telehealth’s convenience, impact on experience, and future outlook. Patients are more positive than physicians across all areas in the graphic.}
This indicates that while telemedicine presents promising benefits, doctors’ acceptance hinges on addressing these legitimate concerns.
Telemedicine Precepting: A Revolutionary Approach
As the first company in the U.S. to offer medical education and telemedicine precepting, MomentMD is championing this practice for graduate programs.
Telemedicine precepting could potentially reshape how clinical rotations are conducted, making education more accessible and flexible for medical, nursing, and physician assistant students.
What Doctors Need to Embrace Telemedicine
Despite its potential benefits, the shift to telemedicine is not straightforward for doctors. It requires rethinking traditional models of care and adapting to new technology.
Ensuring robust technical support, maintaining patient privacy, and providing adequate training can make this transition smoother for all involved.
Plus, the area of medicine should be considered—not all specialties are embracing telemedicine at the same pace. While psychiatry and radiology have seen significant adoption, other fields, like surgery, find less utility due to the nature of the practice providing fewer opportunities for telemedicine doctor support.
The Future is Digital
As telemedicine becomes more prevalent, it’s important to address the concerns of all stakeholders—patients, doctors, and students alike.
At MomentMD, we believe that with the right support, telemedicine can be a win-win situation for everyone involved. We’re here to ensure that telehealth is not just a temporary solution but a sustainable feature of the healthcare landscape.