Suneel Dhand, M.D., an internist and author of Thomas Jefferson: Lessons from a Secret Buddha and High Percentage Wellness Steps: Natural, Proven, Everyday Steps to Improve Your Health & Well-being, writes:
“The medical world … needs to reflect on whether this proposed move away from the traditional doctor-patient relationship is a path we want to tread, instead of doing everything possible to preserve personal interactions in healthcare. I would argue firmly for the latter. As science and technology progresses, it becomes more imperative than ever to preserve and consolidate human interactions.”
“How will virtual medicine improve this? Beyond the odd question here or there which could be answered by a doctor in this way, the benefits are very limited. By all means, patients should use the wonders of modern technology to make appointments, track their own parameters, fill prescriptions — but that all runs parallel to the sacred one-on-one doctor-patient relationship. Wherever technology takes us, humans will always be humans. We crave personal attention and interactions, especially with the emotions that concern our health. It’s for this reason that healthcare is the last place that being virtual and distant will be a long-term success.”
