Dr. On Demand????!!!!!

brandiep1982 · May 13, 2015

Whoa... first reaction for me is... how can a Dr really treat a patient they cannot touch or even be in the same room as? Aren't there many parts of tx and dx that require being in the same room??

loriangel14, RN · May 14, 2015

Sounds fishy.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · May 14, 2015

Dr. Phil helped develop it. He "uses" it all the time on his show. I have see him hawking this for at least a year.

I am sure there are very strict limitations. I have called the nurse on call for BCBS for advice and they are useless. I personally would not use one, but there may be a niche out there. I think it is pricey, too.

~PedsRN~, BSN, RN · May 14, 2015

My healthcare system currently utilizes this in a limited capacity. It's good for things like the sniffles.

klone, MSN, RN · May 14, 2015

Interesting. They have lactation consultants at that website as well.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · May 14, 2015

I wonder how far it can go. Like it's got to be easy to fake a cough or a sore throat and get antibiotics. It's not like they can listen to your lungs or get a good look at your tonsils, especially if you have a poor quality web cam. And what if you tell them you're having chest pain or trouble breathing?

PedsRN2016 · May 14, 2015

Sounds similar to Stat Doctors that some employers are including with medical insurance now! Some of my coworkers swear by it.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 14, 2015

Would possibly work for well-supported, well-educated patients, possibly chronic and more or less stable, who know what to do and only need general directions. I would like to have just such an option while traveling so that I could just call and get my Medrol dose pack if the climate happening to be too much for my asthma. Also would be great for people who lost/forgot/accidentally checked out bag with a medicine in it. Minute clinics do not exist everywhere and mid-levels who staff them are obviously have to be very careful with the whole range of prescription meds.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · May 14, 2015

Would possibly work for well-supported, well-educated patients, possibly chronic and more or less stable, who know what to do and only need general directions. I would like to have just such an option while traveling so that I could just call and get my Medrol dose pack if the climate happening to be too much for my asthma. Also would be great for people who lost/forgot/accidentally checked out bag with a medicine in it. Minute clinics do not exist everywhere and mid-levels who staff them are obviously have to be very careful with the whole range of prescription meds.

I think just going over my medications and past medical history would use the entire 15 minutes allotted.

Jenharts1 · Oct 3, 2015

I have looked into them and they only treat minor stuff cold/flu, uti, rashes etc and prescription refills but nothing controlled. More for if you run out of your beta blocker over the weekend. States they will not treat chronic conditions and if they see you and have to refer you to an on site doc they will not charge you. Also I read an interview with them and they reported that a lot of their calls were from new or working mothers with questions about baby. I think it's a great idea for minor stuff and helpful even if they need to refer you to an ER with no charge.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Oct 4, 2015

I've heard of "virtual visits" in remote areas. I briefly considered a travel job in Alaska. My daughter has a congenital heart defect, so I checked out pediatric cardiology resources. One hospital did virtual visits once a month, via videoconference with a doc in Seattle. We would have to travel to Seattle for procedures.

I've also heard of "virtual visits" for medical abortions, since the provider has to watch the patient take the pill.