Ask the Doctor - The Industry

What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine is adding a new dimension to modern healthcare.  Telemedicine refers to the use of information technology including the telephone, the Internet and personal computers for diagnosing, treating, and monitoring patients. These advances are not only making care more accessible and convenient, they are also helping to raise the quality of care and contain the costs of medical care.

Ask-the-Dr's comprehensive telemedicine services include:

• Informational Medical Consultations (Phone or Email)
• Diagnostic Medical Consultations (Phone or Video)

How can a traditional face-to-face doctor visit be replaced with a telephonic or online medical consultation?

Ask-the-Dr’s service is not intended to replace your primary care physician. Ask-the-Dr provides access to licensed physicians for medical consultations to supplement the care from your primary care physician. For common or chronic conditions, a telephone or email medical consultation often can replace a doctor office or emergency room visit, but communication with your primary care physician is important for continuing care. Ask-the-Dr’s online tools allow patients to share their Electronic Medical Records with their primary care physicians quickly and easily.

Can a doctor diagnose and treat a patient over the telephone without ever seeing the patient face-to-face?

This is determined on a case-by-case basis by the consulting doctor using his/her own medical judgment as to whether sufficient information has been obtained from the patient on which to make evaluation, diagnoses, and recommend a treatment plan, which may or may not include prescriptions for medication. This entire process is documented in detail, and under no circumstances do any of our physicians prescribe any DEA-controlled substances.

Does Ask-the-Dr offer access to both informational and diagnostic medical consultations by telephone to physicians in all US states?

Presently, Ask-the-Dr offers access to informational medical consultations by telephone and secure email to physicians in all U.S. states. Access to diagnostic medical consultations by telephone is available in all U.S. states, except Oklahoma.