The “next big thing” in medicine just might be telephone consultations with doctors you’ve never met before. At least that’s the hope of a group called TelaDoc. They do have a catchy name, with a sort of double meaning, but I’m not sure the concept will catch on with too many people. Here’s how they explain things:
Telephone medical consults is the art and science of providing standard medical assessments, treatments, care and services to patients located remotely from the treating physician. The TelaDoc membership service focuses on non-emergent (non-emergency), non-interventional primary care, in an effort to reduce unnecessary and inefficient trips to a doctor or emergency room.
Telephone consults have been broadly utilized since 1997. Over 36 million Americans have been treated using this technology, and the data shows that 60-70% of non-urgent primary care requests can be treated by a doctor with a telephone medical consult.
- Internists, family practitioners and urgent care doctors with years of experience
- TelaDoc is recruiting 100% board certified physicians
- Must undergo a thorough credentialing process that verifies medical licensure, training and education, work history, and malpractice history
- Live and work in the United States
- English speaking doctors. Spanish speaking doctors in some states. Interpreter available.
Non-urgent Medical Care Whenever and Wherever You Need It
TelaDoc is a network of licensed, primary care physicians who diagnose individual medical problems via the telephone, recommend treatment and prescribe medication (when appropriate) over the telephone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can access this service wherever you happen to be: your home, office, hotel room, or vacation campsite. Simply make a phone call and, in most cases, speak to a doctor within 30-40 minutes.