Remote Appointments Pose “Misdiagnosis Risk” Say Doctors

A Cambridge University study has found that remote GP appointments are leading to patients being misdiagnosed and that the shift way from face-to-face consultations is proving disastrous for some patients.

The researchers polled 111 clinicians and 1,340 patients in the study which looked at the impact of phone and video consultations on patients  with conditions such as arthritis. The study found that just three per cent of clinicians felt that telemedicine was better than face-to-face appointments.

According to The Telegraph:

The vast majority of medics thought that remote consultations were worse than face-to-face appointments for making an accurate diagnosis. 

In total, 93 per cent of clinicians rated remote appointments worse than traditional methods for being able to make an accurate assessment, with warnings of increased misdiagnoses. 

And 86 per cent of patients rated phone and video appointments as worse for accuracy, the research found. 

The study surveyed clinicians and patients between April and July this year, after remote appointments were widely rolled out across GP practices…..

Nine out of 10 medics and 69 per cent of patients felt telemedicine was “worse than face-to-face for building a trusting relationship”.

Many patients felt that phone or video consultations followed an impersonal “tick list” and felt more “rushed” the study, published in the journal Rheumatology, found. 

GPs said that the systems put up barriers which excluded many people – including the elderly – from being able to reach a doctor. 

In my opinion, they are laying the groundwork for the replacement of doctors with Artificial Intelligence. That might seem a bit of a stretch, but according to media reports earlier this year, the R&D is fairly advanced.

I remember seeing a doctor on SKY News, shortly after Christmas I think. He told the presenter that eventually, people will see an AI doctor on their phones, laptops or tablets. I’m sure he said that we would see it in a decade or so. I played the clip on the radio show. I’ll try and dig it out.

But that’s further down the road. In the meantime, of course remote consultations pose a serious risk of misdiagnosis and of course they are confusing and isolating for the elderly. But since when has anyone in government given a damn about the elderly?

 

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