Our Faith In Skype –

Consulting Affirmed

We have been big fans of consulting with patients long distance by using Skype.  We have used it to consult with patients both in the United States and overseas.  It gives us a chance to get a good sense of the patient’s request and problem if a new patient and also the ability to follow the progress of our postoperative patients. 

There was an article in The New York Times on Sunday, May 30, entitled, The Doctor Will See You Now, Please Log On.

The article discussed the advances in technology and the increasing popularity of what has now been labeled “telemedicine.”  The paper noted “spurred by health care trends and technological advances, telemedicine is growing into a mainstream industry.”

The article further stated “the technology has improved to the point where the experience of both the doctor and the patient are close to the same as in-person visits and in some cases better.”

I don’t agree with that statement because nothing beats a face-to-face meeting.  However, we have to accept some imperfections in indirect communication. If we do not have the chance to see the patient in the office to look, to feel and evaluate, certainly consultation via Skype is a second best.

The article brought to my mind the fact that three days prior to this article, on Thursday, May 27, we operated on a 15-year-old girl who came to us from Texas to have both rhinoplasty and functional nasal surgery including septoplasty and turbinate resection.  She also had placement of our post-operative nasal airway system to ensure breathing post-operatively. 

We had originally been contacted by the patient after she had visited our web site to learn more about the nasal surgery.  Following exchange of e-mails and phone conversations with our patient consultant, a Skype consultation was arranged. We had a good session the teen and her mother.  We also had the opportunity to provide, for the patient’s benefit, computer imaging to show the predicted result of the surgery since the patient was able to supply us with digital front and profile photos.

That Skype consultation went into very deep detail as much as we would in the office with regard to the patient history including the difficulty breathing, clogged ears and some of the medical issues.  We always ask about allergies, medications being taken, past history, so there is no short-cutting in the history and there is no reason not to address all issues past and present.  The only faculty we don’t have available is touch. 

Based on our long-distance consultation, computer imaging and Skype session, the patient came here prepared for surgery.  Her history and physical and all laboratories were done at home in Texas and she arrived the day before.

At the “pre-surgery” visit, I had a chance to examine the patient’s nasal airway and affirm that which I had learned from the history and also from reviewing the x-rays that were taken of the nasal passages and sinuses in her home town.   I also took further digital photographs that I could use to study before surgery and all questions were answered that had been posed by the patient and her mother.

As is routine for all our patients, whether local or national or international, all arrangements had been made for the patient to have her post-operative medications filled by our local pharmacy.  The patient’s post-operative kit was at hand so that she could start some of the medications that night prior to surgery.  The office had also assisted the patient’s mom in making hotel arrangements.

Certainly, technology is giving us a leg up on better pre and post-operative care and allows patients from afar to make contact with us and have meaningful conversations and consultations from nearly anywhere in the world.