BOSTON, Jan 6, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The e-version of a house call will be
introduced in Hawaii Jan. 15, said America Well, a Web service linking patients
face-to-face with doctors online.
The service is for people wanting easier access to physicians because they are
uninsured, don't want to wait for an appointment or spend time traveling to a
clinic, Roy Schoenberg, co-founder and chief executive of American Well Systems,
told The New York Times.
Schoenberg, a physician, said the American Well, based in Boston, sparked
interest of policymakers wanting to expand access to healthcare, the Times
reported Tuesday. Insurers in other states will soon offer the service, he said.
Patients use the service by logging on to participating health plans' Web sites,
Schoenberg explained. Doctors are scheduled for 10-minute appointments that can
be extended for a fee. The physicians can file prescriptions and view patients'
medical histories through the system.
Some critics of doctors' e-visits expressed concern that doctors would miss
important symptoms if they do not see patients in person. Others said they doubt
the poor and uninsured would have the broadband connection and Webcams to use
the service.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International