I just read through a prominent medical website that the medical office visit over the next 5 years will be one that is done through the smart phone or via the internet. I believe that this will move us into an even greater state of dysfunction within our current medical paradigm. The illusion of increasing the convenience of being able to interact with your doctor via a screen suppresses the doctor patient relationship to an even greater degree. What we are missing in our current healthcare system is the human connection and interaction that is needed to help people change their current decisions that overload their bodies and minds. This is already evident by the change for doctors to have a scribe in the room to take notes so the doctor has more face to face time with the patient, in hopes of increased connection and patient satisfaction.
People want to feel like they are being listend too and acknowledged when they are having a concern going on with their health. The convenience model will only continue to enable our society to believe that the elusive “quick fix” is still a viable option. It is time to stop pretending that we can continue doing the same thing and expect a different result to take place.
Make it a priority to see your doctor face to face on a regular basis. Have them keep you accountable for following through with decisions that make you healthy and prevent disease from occuring. This is a true health care model, not a convenient one though.
Dr.Buttler