As with all technologies bedding in, there have been some errors and some mistakes made, such as the case of a 92-year-old wrongly diagnosed with organ failure via an online consultation.
Professor Martin Marshall of the Royal College of GPs said a balance needed to be struck: “Patients should be able to access general practice care and services in a variety of needs to meet their needs and preferences.”
Professor Marshall added: “In person consulting is and will remain core to general practice, and the majority of consultations are being delivered in this way – but good, safe, and appropriate care can also be delivered remotely, and we know many patients find this way of accessing care convenient and effective.”
As well as convenience, there is another factor to consider as an advantage of online appointments, cost.
