We thought we would illustrate this in real time.
MikeyM™ recently sought some doctors advice, but it was in relation to something he believed was not urgent.
Instead of therefore following his old style of approach and ringing the doctors to seek a physical appointment as soon as possible, he decided (with some nervous hesitation, we might add) that because of the potential non urgent nature of the matter, he would simply complete and submit the Surgery’s advertised online enquiry form for the 1st time ever.
And we were very pleasantly surprised at how well the service performed and how streamlined it was.
After completing the usual online identity checks, the form enabled him to properly detail the nature of his medical enquiry (including symptoms / duration) and what precise advice he was seeking, without the risk of becoming tongue tied on an equivalent telephone call to the Surgery’s administrative team.
Within only a few hours (that same day), a text message from the Surgery was received indicating his enquiry had already been reviewed by a doctor (rather than a member of the administrative team) and that (having applied emergency scaling to his appointment request using the responses to a medical questionnaire he completed online), a telephone consultation had been arranged with a named doctor for 2 days later one hour either way of a given time.
The emergency scaling review referenced means the Surgery’s doctors will have considered the seriousness and level of emergency of the online enquiry and determined that 2 days was an adequate period of time to wait safely for an appointment.
The performance of this exercise by the doctors at such an early stage was extremely reassuring.
The text also indicated that MikeyM™ could text back to cancel or reschedule should the need arise.
The consultation call was received and took place within the timescale specified and the doctor in question gave MikeyM™ exactly the advice he was looking for over a call which was not rushed (like many physical appointments tend to be) and which took into account his entire medical background which the doctor had to hand for the call.
As expected, the matter in question did not necessitate an appointment and was satisfactorily resolved without one (thus saving MikeyM™ having to take valuable time off work unnecessarily to attend the Surgery and encounter potential appointment delays).
This was one of the most life enhancing applications of modern technology we have encountered - and (unlike a trip to the doctors to wait in a potentially germ infested waiting room!) it was completely stress free.
With health systems around the world struggling to cope, we are moving increasingly towards a system of patient-carer ‘partnership’ rather than a pure one way ‘service’.
And the use of time and cost saving processes such as these is therefore becoming vital.
But this involves patients as well as carers embracing a new way of doing things.
The temptation when you think you may be ill is all too often to assume that a specialist doctor will be only or better able to make a diagnosis and treat if the doctor meets you, but as the above proves, this is not always the case.
Nowadays, photographs can sent to GPS of affected physical areas on a mobile phone, tablet or laptop to enable them to fully examine the symptoms.
Psychological issues can be explored in the same depth over a landline or mobile call as they could be in person, and feel less intrusive as a result.
Zoom/Teams calls online are equally as effective as face to face meetings, and you only need a mobile phone as opposed to a tablet or laptop to facilitate these.
But all too often, when faced with an ailment, we move immediately into ‘panic mode’, and consequently rush to the GP or even hospital emergency ward, when fresh ailments rarely justify this.
It is time, therefore, for sound, common sense judgements to be applied by patients on a case by case symptom basis which acknowledges the reality of very limited healthcare resources and which are not only in the best interest of self, but of wider society.
Because nothing stressbusts™ quite like technological advancements of this type that increase efficiency at the same time as making everyone’s life a whole lot easier 🙂👍! !
NB:
1. Should you for any reason face challenges in accessing or deploying the type of technology referenced in this post, could you e.g. draw upon assistance to do so from an individual identified through performing the exercise contained in our previous post entitled “Break Time Quickie : Stressbusting™ Allies to Keep Close”?
Alternatively, there are an abundance of simple self help guides available over the Internet.
2. Please see our Legal Notices page for detail of the importance of consulting with specialists.
Lots of Love,
MikeyM&LouLoU™ ☺🧡❤💚 xxx