The digital doctor; reality or dream image?

A digital doctor can be interpreted as a doctor who stores his information digitally, consults it and makes it available to the patient. Digital working is known in many general practitioners’ practices. Although in many cases they have archived old, historical information, the patient will not easily see a GP write down diagnoses in a paper file. Everything is processed electronically, without the use of a pen or paper. But shouldn’t a ‘digital doctor’ nowadays go much further than just a digital file?

Moving with the times

The ideal doctor is a doctor who goes with the times. And I don’t just mean that he would have to process his files and information digitally. But he should also take full advantage of the benefits of the digital age in which we now find ourselves. Why can’t we reach our doctor via a kind of “Skype-Consult” with our questions? This goes further than the existing telephone consultation, because in this way you can actually show the doctor something.

A digital contact moment

The Internet is the medium we are dealing with and in my opinion the “doctor” makes too little use of it. Because what is the first thing you do when something bothers you? Right, let’s have a go! Still, there is a lot of incorrect information on the internet and we shouldn’t play the role of doctor ourselves. That’s why the Healthcare Inspectorate is going to supervise medical apps more closely, so that you can make your own diagnoses. I fully agree with this, because everyone’s health is at stake and we must treat it with care. Incorrect diagnoses can have major consequences. However, I do think that a low-threshold method of direct contact with your doctor is a modern one.

This could be very suitable for the working person! Great efficiencies can be achieved with this. How about companies whose hours of special leave are suddenly reduced by these “digital consulting hours”. In addition, a doctor is able to help several patients more quickly. Enormous time savings on both fronts can be a result of this.

Responding to the future

The degree of acceptance of digital working in the Netherlands is high in comparison with some other countries. I think it’s good to see that health care is increasingly focusing on online applications that make things easier for patients. In addition, these applications are also necessary to reduce the rising costs of healthcare. In short; although my ideal image of the digital doctor may be too good to be true, we can no longer ignore the fact that the digital age has entered and that we have to respond to it in order to be able to continue to play an important role in the future.