14 DAY TRIAL // Although we all know that an online consultation may not be such a great idea in case of a serious illness, most patients would do it if their doctors agreed. Unfortunately, the majority of doctors avoid providing email advice because of hackers, The Detroit News today informs. Although all the other industries had an impressive evolution in the online markets, doctors have a series of fears which keep them away from the Internet connections. Beside hackers, doctors are afraid that sending advice online isn't a secure activity because they may not receive the money for the consultation they give on the web.
"Doctors have their reasons for not hitting the reply button more often. Some worry it will increase their workload, and most physicians don't get reimbursed for it by insurance companies. Others fear hackers could compromise patient privacy -- even though doctors who do e-mail generally do it through password-protected Web sites," The Detroit news wrote.
Online consultations have good and bad parts. First of all, a bigger percentage of people would ask for advice. Second, it's more comfortable and it could be done at any desired hour as long as the doctor is available. On the other hand, the advice given may not match the illness the patient has for the simple reason that the specialist is not able to inspect him properly. However, there are a few doctors currently offering online consultations, but researchers say that there number should be bigger.
"People are able to file their taxes online, buy and sell household goods, and manage their financial accounts. The health care industry seems to be lagging behind other industries," The Detroit News added citing Susannah Fox of the Pew Internet & American Life Project.