The electronic house call. Consequences of telemedicine consultations for physicians, patients, and society.
Within the next 10 years, telemedicine technology is likely to become widely available in physicians' offices and patients' homes. Rather than describing the technology of telemedicine, we discuss the implications of its widespread use among physicians, patients, and society as a whole, focusing on that mainstay of communication between physician and patient, the "electronic house call." After exploring the new relationship that is likely to develop between patients and physicians as a consequence of the use of telemedicine, we discuss the broader economic, legal, and political consequences of the widespread use of this technology.
Ostbye
T
T
Department of Epidemiology, University of Western Ontario, London. ostbye@uwo.ca
Hurlen
P
P
D003142:Communication; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards