August 8, 2018
Kenneth Daniels, OD, FAAO, Dip. ABO, outlines opportunities that telehealth provides to expand care to patients, as well as cautionary concerns about maintaining the essential doctor-patient relationship.
INCREASE ACCESS TO CARE. Telehealth can allow the patient to consult with the doctor immediately when they have a need, rather than waiting until they have the time and ability to come into the office.
BUT NO THERAPEUTIC INDICATION. Remote exams allow for an initial diagnosis, but don’t give the doctor an ability to both diagnose and create a treatment plan.
REFER FOR IN-PERSON APPOINTMENTS. The doctor is sometimes able, through telehealth, to get a sense of which patients need to come into the office for more in-depth care.
Ken Daniels, OD, FAAO, Dipl. ABO, is president of New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians, and owner of Hopewell-Lambertville Eye Associates. To contact: kennethdaniels@att.net
