Hawaii trials online physician service
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
December 10, 2008
Beginning January 15, the Hawaii Medical Services Association will trial an online doctor program that will allow any state resident to log onto a specific Web site and have access to a physician 24 hours a day, reports The Honolulu Advertiser. If patients have a Web cam on their computers, they will be able to speak to a physician face-to-face. This program is being watched closely as the first trial of its kind in the nation, reports the Advertiser.
Patients will pay a $10 co-payment for a 10-minute online visit with a doctor. Additionally, patients will be using Microsoft HealthVault, and allow the consulting physicians online to access their medical records. For patients whose health concerns cannot be diagnosed online, there will be no fee. The hope for this system is that it will provide better access for rural patients, as well as cut down on emergency room visits and grant better access to those patients who are uninsured. The non-member fee is $45.
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