Treatment via ehealth chat is so helpful

[ad_1]

Appointment to the doctor or remote diagnosis via the Internet? More than 1500 patients use the German-language offer of the British online practice DrEd every month. This is helpful and has decisive advantages over the classic doctor's visit.

Online Doc – doctor on call

There are drugstores, pharmacies and now doctors on the net. Established in Switzerland for a long time, such offers in Germany are still rejected. On the one hand, this is due to the widespread skepticism of many physicians about new digital patient communication and, on the other hand, due to German case law.

The model occupational code prohibits German doctors from performing remote diagnoses on patients who have not previously seen them in person. In other countries, telemedicine has long been commonplace. At the British online doctor DrEd advise professional doctors by phone, via the Internet or in ehealth chat. Around the clock.

DrEd – the family doctor without waiting

DrEd, an online medical practice based in London, also offers this form of remote diagnosis for German patients. David Meinertz, founder and boss of the online portal, explains the principle as follows: "We are a family doctor, without waiting time and want to make it easier for patients to access the doctor." Patients should be able to see the doctor when and how they want: in the morning, in the evening or at the weekend, by telephone, ehealth or the computer. All from health home – or on the go.

Diagnosis and prescription by phone

Overall, the offer is limited to 35 selected clinical pictures. These include some unpleasant symptoms such as venereal diseases, cystitis, erectile dysfunction or hair loss. DrEd also presents follow-up recipes for the treatment of high blood pressure, for example. Especially with unpleasant illnesses or questions, one likes to avoid personal discussions with the doctor. Anonymous email contact seems tempting.

Simply send an inquiry by email, add a photo of the affected areas if necessary and the desired recipe will be issued. This either comes health home by post or can be sent to a mail-order pharmacy on request. The treatment fee is between 9 and 49 euros depending on the effort. In many cases, the fee can be recovered from the health insurance company.

A doctor for all of Europe?

Remote treatment is possible through an EU directive on patient mobility. The patient is free to choose a doctor within the EU member states. Accordingly, prescriptions from other EU countries must be recognized in Germany. In England, remote diagnostics including prescription prescriptions are allowed. DrEd has two German doctors with an English license who can treat all over Europe – even from a distance. German and European law still clash here. The German Society for Telemedicine is therefore committed to abolishing the distance treatment ban.

Why the online doctor cannot replace the real one

DrEd wants to complement and not replace the range of doctors in private practice. Even though many treatments can now be carried out telemedically, direct contact with the doctor is still necessary in many cases. What the patient perceives as a harmless respiratory infection can turn out to be pneumonia when listened to by the specialist. Direct patient contact is essential here. As an additional offer, online consultation hours could shorten waiting times and relieve doctors.

In the future, for example, the general practitioner could clarify in a ehealth conversation before the appointment, which patients should go to the practice and who can be treated remotely. Issuing follow-up prescriptions and referral to a specialist would also be conceivable online. The expert could be added via ehealth conference and then decide for himself whether he would like to see the patient again or not.

Modern medicine has to adapt the offer to the circumstances of the person and not vice versa. An online doctor is up-to-date, convenient for doctor and patient and also saves costs.

[ad_2]

AB SMART HEALTH health home & BUILDING REVIEW