Irish Medical Times Medical News for Healthcare Professionals
The IMO wants the Government to immediately regulate the practice of insurance companies offering telemedicine services to patients, particularly in the form of recently launched GP services by smartphone or video conference.
Prof Trevor Duffy, immediate past President, IMO
According to the doctors’ union, such services offer no continuity of care, are not personalised, are open to abuse and are potentially damaging to long-term health outcomes.
In February, Aviva Health Insurance launched ‘Babylon Health’ — Ireland’s first online GP consultation service via smartphones or iPads. Vhi Healthcare is also promoting a service called Lloyds Online Doctor, with a view to making out prescriptions for customers.
However, outgoing IMO President Prof Trevor Duffy described these services as a “cheap marketing gimmick”.
“Personalised continuity of care is the cornerstone of general practice,” explained motion proposer Dr Ray Walley. “Speaking with somebody in a non-acute setting, 9 to 5, where you are being with somebody for the first time and cannot have recourse to a personal examination, is not the same as personalised continuity of care in general practice.”
Prof Duffy said he would not have a problem using telemedicine in his clinic for patients who attended his service on a regular basis. “But when it is done as a cheap marketing gimmick by insurance companies, then it really has no place in proper quality care.”
Dr Barra O’Tuama (left) and James Parker, Aviva Health CEO, with Irish Rugby Players Robin Copeland, Andrew Trimble and Fergus McFadden at the launch of ‘Babylon Health’
Dr Clive Kilgallen, Consultant Histopathologist at Sligo General Hospital, added from the floor that telemedicine had already happened in radiology, was beginning in pathology, and there was no reason why the same couldn’t happen in other disciplines. “You can now have your x-rays read in a different continent and time zone,” he stated.
Some GPs express the view that they can’t afford the travel time for house calls. This seems like an ideal solution for the busy doctor. For busy patients, the legacy practice of attending a surgery for every single consultation is outdated. Many consultations require no physical exam. Indeed how many GPs now even take their eyes off their computer screen during the consultation.