Friday, June 18, 2010

House Calls to make a Comeback?

Physician house calls -- that vestige of a bygone era in medicine -- are making a comeback, only this time with a virtual twist.  Indianapolis-based health insurance giant WellPoint unveiled a new program to give its members access to doctors and other health-care providers via the Internet. The house call would be initiated by a patient logging in for a video chat from work to describe a sore throat, or a parent at home texting about a child with poison ivy.  The physician will be able to review patient information, chat, prescribe medicine or suggest a follow-up visit, all while online or the telephone.  WellPoint -- which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in 14 states, including Indiana -- plans to begin offering the service in select areas this fall. Company officials have not said whether Indiana will be one of the areas.  "Consumers are more and more interested in convenient access to medical care, and the current model of drive-and-wait-in-the-waiting-room can create some frustration for simple medical conditions," WellPoint spokeswoman Jill Becher said in an e-mail Friday.  WellPoint's plan is part of the growing effort by insurers, hospitals and doctors to use "telemedicine" to control medical costs and provide patients with quick and affordable care.  WellPoint rival UnitedHealthcare of Minnesota also has unveiled new telemedicine services. Such technology has long been used to consult with patients in remote rural areas, or to access specialists such as radiologists who are in short supply.

Source:  Indianapolis Star (June 15, 2010)
Full story:  http://www.indystar.com/article/20100615/BUSINESS03/6130373
/1278/BUSINESS03/WellPoint-s-new-plan-The-doctor-is-online