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Trends
The Digital Doctor Will See You Now
ONLINE APPOIN TMEN TS OFFER SPEEDIER ACCESS TO NON-URGEN T MEDICAL CARE
LIKE WIRELESS MARCUS WELBYS, doctors will soon perform
more house calls by computer or phone—good news if
you’re sick of waiting for appointments. With many docs
overbooked—wait times in metro areas such as Boston aver-
age 63 days, notes one new study—remote access can make
your doctor less remote. This year OptumHealth, part of
UnitedHealth Group, plans to introduce a national system,
the NowClinic, that offers 24-hour physician access. All
you’ll need is a computer or phone and $45 for the ten-
minute chat. Some retirement communities already use
the Intel Health Guide, a remote monitoring system that
records patients’ blood pressure and weight and lets
off-site providers access data. But telemedicine, though
valuable, shouldn’t completely replace office visits, says
Bill Russell, M.D., vice president of clinical informatics at
Erickson Retirement Communities: “A good primary care
physician should come to know their patient as a whole
person, not just as an e-mail buddy.” —Alissa Ponchione
ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPH NIEMANN
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