I was chatting with a friend recently regarding his view that remote consultations were the way forward.
Covid-19 will seriously change the face of private practice in her view. More specifically, it will demonstrate remote consultations are the way forward to grow a practice.
In my friend’s view, more consultants are now willing to provide video consultations that ever before.
And further, in her view, all the consultants she had spoken to and asked were enthusiastic about the electronic consultation offering.
When asked if they would offer more and more electronic consultations most said they would.
They see it as a way to grow a private practice.
Right question; the wrong person.
I’m not disputing the view Covid-19 will change many things including the face of private practice.
But I don’t see it, in a post-Covid-19 world – as a catalyst for remote consultations.
For one thing, we are in the midst of an unprecedented situation.
By all means, consider the reality of where we will be afterward but it is far too earlier to make sweeping predictions.
Further still, it is unrealistic to make the forecast that electronic consultations will become widespread based on six weeks of evidence.
But what is a wory is of whom was the question asked.
Only the private consultant.
The patient wasn’t or hasn’t been asked.
I’m not suggesting for a single second patients will or will not be willing to have their consultation electronically.
I’m saying is that it is wrong to say electronic consultations are the way to grow a private practice. You must first establish if the patients would be prepared to accept electronic consultations rather than face to face consultation.
pete@medicalhealthcaremanagement.co.uk