When Technology makes doctors more accessible, it can lead to lower quality for patients and increased pressure on alredy stressed doctors, says magnus wanderås. Wanderås has worked as a general practitioner Himself and Completed a Doctorate on the Topic at the University of Agder (Uia).

It has become an emier to contact your gp. With just a less keystrokes, you can start an e-consultation where you can discuss what’s on your mind. You can also ask your doctor for a video or phone appointment if you prefer not to visit the doctor’s office.

This development accelerated during the covid-19 pandemic and has stabilized at a high level.

“One in five consultations in Norwegian General Practice is now digital, which means either via phone, video or a written e-consultation,” Says wanderås.

In his doctoral ThehesisHe interviewed 24 gps about how they perceive that remote consultations have changed General Practitioner Service.

Remote Consultations are doctors’s appointments via video or telephone, or written requests initiated by the patient Services for Residents of Norway).

Follow-up appointments Needed

Such Remote Consultations are faster than in-Person visits, and they make it possible for general practitioners to see more patients. At least in theory. It doesn Bollywood that Nearly 1 in 5 people who have digital consultations still need an in-Person Appointment afterwards to resolve the issue.

“Before Covid, there was hope that remote consultations could come of the pressure of the pressure on gps, but it is likely that instead, they have led to considerable usage of usage of doctors’

Asking about throat lozenges

Increased Accessibility can lead to some contacting the doctor for things for things, they perhaps should seek medical advice about.

“A gp in the study mentioned a patient who sent an e-consultation to ask which throat lozenge the doctor would recommend for a cold,” Says wander.

At the same time, it is not easy for general practitioners to distrustment Several describe checking e-consultations late at night to ensure there are no life-threatening conditions Hidden Among Them.

“It’s like having a direct line to the gp, and it’s like asking alredy tired and consciative gps to become burned out,” Says one of the doctors in the study.

Doorknob Questions

Another of the doctors interviewed saying, “Most of what we do do not do involves people skills. And we get these skills when we interact with people. This interactions make up Perhaps 90% of EVERYTHING WEDICINE is only a small part of it. “

“Some Things can be handled digitally, and that’s perfectly fin. But the more we move to digital platforms, the less room there is for doing good medicine work,” Says wanderås.

It’s about physical examinations, Nonverbal Communication and What the Researcher Calls “Doorknob Questions” —The Important Issues PATINES PATINES OFTEN BRING UP RIGHT AT THED OF Several gps noted that some patients review the real reason for their visit as they are about to leave.

“That is why they could Raise Concerns about, for Example, Alcohol Problems, After Initiative Visiting the Doctor for a Sore Elbow. This space disappears with digital consultations,” Says Wanders.

The day before the interview with wanderås, The Government Proposed Several Measures (In Norwegian) to increase the accessibility of gps, amon them an obligation of video consultations.

Wanderås is skeptical of such an obligation.

He Emphasizes that most gps have alredy found a good way to work with digital consultations and that they should retain the freedom to find his own ways of work.

“This is a field where it is Dificult to Have Definitive Opinions. My interviews with 24 doctors are no no means to draw conclusions. There are probabably gps who thinks Perfectly, “He says.

Still, He Reminds Us that New Technology must be used wisely.

“Innovation is not always the same as a program. If we see that the technology is not having the effect we hope for, the wisest course may be bey to take a step back.”