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Online Doctors: The Future of Health Care

While the rise of the medical services online is still very much in its infancy, the trend for mobile healthcare is now moving at an unstoppable rate. It seems inevitable that, in the future, face to face consultations will largely be a thing of the past. We conduct business, do our shopping, monitor our physical fitness, and organise our schedules via digital communication tools – why can’t we meet with our GPs and health care practitioners in the same way?

There are all kinds of benefits to remote communication, particularly within the context of the health care industry. The development could, for example, change the lives of those living in very rural, hard to reach areas. Where before, consulting a doctor might require a long and arduous trip or the decision to forgo consultation altogether, with mobile medical apps getting advice from an online doctoris available at the touch of a button.

Keep reading to find out some of the main reasons why your next doctor chat could be taking place over the Internet.

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Greater Accessibility for All Patients

We’re now so used to thinking of surgeries and clinics as static, fixed places that we forget just how many circumstances can make accessing them feel impossible. Online consultations and mobile medical apps like Dr. Me could be invaluable not just for patients with mobility problems, but also those with severe anxiety, PTSD, and a host other limitations. By opening up the range of access points, doctors can significantly reduce the risk of patients growing seriously ill due to common and easily preventable ailments. There’ll be no need for a ‘wait and see’ attitude, because finding out for sure takes a matter of minutes.

No Lengthy Waiting Times

For the first time, both patients and doctors are coming around to the idea that the traditional waiting room might not be the best way to meet with practitioners. For one thing, they require people to spend time around those who are sick and, if you have a weak immune system or are very elderly, this can come with significant risk. Plus, it isn’t always a comfortable environment and it is common for even relatively urgent problems to be delayed a few days or more, because of long waiting times. With an online doctor, patients make contact from the comfort of their own homes. The service is completely private, secure, and user-centric.

Putting Control in the Hands of Patients

In addition, patients can enjoy easier access to information about their conditions and treatment plans. In the past, the medical industry has been all about the top down movement of data – the doctor as the sole gateway to advice and expertise. With the development and evolution of the internet, this has changed and practitioners aren’t the only source of information anymore. So, it makes sense to give them the information that they need to make practical, sensible, and informed choices. And, as studies have shown, patient engagement increases when people feel their doctors are involving them in the decision-making process.

More Accurate Healthcare Records

Another advantage of using mobile medical apps like DoctorMe is the fact that they provide instant access to personal files and records. As people move house, change jobs, and pursue their individual goals and ambitions, it becomes trickier for doctors to keep a hold of complete files. If records are digitalised, however, there is a smaller risk of important data being lost as it is transferred from clinic to clinic and former GPs to new ones. The more complete the medical file, the easier it is for doctors to make the best possible treatment decisions.

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