Virtual medicine
Two ventures are exploring ways to let doctors conduct video-enabled visits.
Virtual medicine
American Well is scheduled to launch in Hawaii in January 2009. Under the protocol, a patient would initiate a visit and request a primary care physician, specialist or other medical professional. The physician would then review the patient's medical record and complaint, then decide to see the patient, refer him or her to another online doctor, or direct him/her to a local emergency department.
Virtual medicine
Once a physician and patient have connected through America Well, the actual visit could be handled with a phone call, Web chat or webcam. All encounters are in real time, and a transcript or video of the session is sent to the patient's regular physician.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Posted with the Sept. 1, 2008 issue - Accompanying article: Companies using webcams for real-time patient encounters
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