Doctor Jay Parkinson became a celebrity last year as word spread about his unconventional practice in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Instead of maintaining a traditional office and paying support staff, Parkinson's operation is entirely virtual and requires almost no overhead. (Unless you consider a Mac overhead.) Instead, he operates a web site loaded with Web 2.0 touches that allows patients to easily get in touch and explains his services in plain English. After an initial in-person consultation, exchanges can be online, either through instant messaging, email or web cam. He uses Gmail to handle his email load and has neatly integrated Google Calendar into his web site - allowing patients to see his schedule at a glance and book their own appointments.
Not sure how I feel about this one ... I DO think it's very cool for a physician to be accessible online, making him/her (theoretically) more available, but I have to wonder about possible risks to the patient if the doctor is not able to directly observe the patient (e.g., looking in the ears, down the throat, feeling for swollen lymph nodes, even observing strong odours, etc.).
Thoughts?
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