Rescripting Health Care: Virtual medicine

By Joyce Kryszak

Buffalo, NY –

Healthcare in America is rapidly changing. The days of house calls are long since gone. And even if you go to the doctor's office, you're probably more likely to see a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. One local health insurance provider believes it has the cure to the problem of access. In the second part of our series, "Rescripting Health Care," WBFO's Joyce Kryszak takes a look at virtual medicine.

Click the audio player above to hear Joyce Kryszak's full story now or use your podcasting software to download it to your computer or iPod.

Crawling out of bed to go to the doctor's office when you're sick can be quite an effort. But what if you only had to crawl to your computer to talk to a doctor?

Doctor "Auto Matic" isn't real of course. He's a virtual doctor made up for the purposes of this tutorial of a new tele-medicine web site. It's an on-line, virtual medicine service developed by American Well.

The Boston-based company holds the patent on the technology that brings patients and doctors together in a sort of cyberspace exam room. They can talk by video webcam, by phone, or online chat. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Western New York is making the service available to its patients later this year.

Dr. Ido Schoenberg is Chief Executive Officer of American Well. He said on-line care is already catching on in other states. He says patients seem to love it and the doctors are practically "gaga" over it.

Dr. Douglas Golding squints his eyes and rests his chin on his hands listening intently to Schoenberg explain how the service works. You'd probably never describe Golding as being gaga over anything. But the family doctor said he's eager to get started with online medicine. He said the traditional model alone, with limited time to physically see each patient, just isn't working anymore.

He said it's also hard to be compensated fairly as a family doctor. There are no surgeries or extra procedures they can bill for. And all those calls on the phone answering a question after hours or calming a frantic mother with a sick baby in the middle of the night? They don't get paid for those either.

Until now.

American Well CEO Schoenberg said they've found a way to formalize and document the time doctors are already spending on the phone with patients.

Despite a shortage of family care doctors, Schoenberg said there are doctors who will work extra hours if they can choose when. But what about the buyers for this service? The cost will be about the same as an office visit co-pay. But will patients pay to see a doctor over the Internet?

Corrine Koepf has multiple health problems and she's had several surgeries over the last couple of years. She has a bunch of doctors and uses WEB MD when she wants more information. But would she see a doctor she doesn't know on the Internet? Koepf sees pros and cons.

Her biggest concern is having a doctor diagnose and prescribe without doing a physical examination.

Koepf was a little more open to the idea when told that the doctor would have secure online access to her medical records and history. And that she'd have a choice of which doctor to use.

Patients can wait to talk to their own doctors by making a "virtual appointment." But even with all that Koepf said she'd still be more comfortable with a diagnosis confirmed with a physical exam. Dr. Golding said most of the time that really isn't necessary.

He's so confident that he said malpractice liability isn't a concern for him. And he's not too worried about patients over-using the service because access is easier. After all, he said they'll still have to pay for that access.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield said it can keep the price reasonable, under $45 dollars, because there's little overhead. The insurer will pay a fee to American Well and cover liability insurance. Dr. Cynthia Ambres is Chief Medical Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Western New York. She said they had to do something to keep up with patient demand - and to make sure there's an ample supply of family doctors by keeping them fairly paid.

And patients not insured by Blue Cross and Blue Shield will be able to benefit from that virtual TLC too. The service will be available sometime next year to anyone, even the uninsured. All it will take is the swipe of a credit card.