Delivering healthcare services to patients through online medical consultation became a new trend. It made expressing health concerns and getting treated during the pandemic easy, convenient, and faster. Also, online doctor consultation saves a lot of time and energy.

However, a larger section of society believes this revolution in the medical industry is not worth spending time and money on. It is harder to break the convention and the old practices to accept this transformation.

Here are eight myths about online medical consultation debunked. It will help you relate better and make the best use of the telemedicine concept effectively! So, let us get started!

1st Myth - Online medical consultation is illegal

Many people throughout the country consider getting appointments for online consultation illegal. However, the Government of India introduced telemedicine services to benefit the patients suffering from different illnesses during the pandemic when it imposed complete lockdown due to the increasing number of COVID19 cases. It was introduced because of the extreme shortage of services due to limited access to physical health care services. The guidelines ensure the doctors maintain the patient's information securely and be held responsible. Therefore, the efforts of hospitals and health care professionals to go online for treatment are legal in India.

2nd Myth - Quality of medical treatment is compromised in online consultation

It is often believed that online consultations do not provide the right quality of treatment for healthy and quick recovery. However, with a good knowledge of the medical history, you can discuss the health concerns with your doctor at ease. If you speak honestly and describe your health condition, the doctor will assess the situation and provide the right prescription. In addition, you can make a checklist of things, including the symptoms, prior medications you have taken, etc., to discuss with the doctor. Finally, you can maintain the order of prescriptions and medical reports through the online application for quick reference and ensure quality treatment.

3rd Myth - Physical examination is mandatory

Many people often consider physical examination mandatory for medical consultation. However, by communicating the right information promptly, you always don't have to get treated by physical examination during a pandemic. For instance, if you get affected due to a fever, you can let the doctor know the temperature, oxygen levels, pulse rate, etc., with the medical equipment at home. You can keep monitoring the temperature at frequent intervals mentioned by the doctor and communicate accordingly.

4th Myth - Online medical consultation is costly

Online doctor consultation during COVID19 was in higher demand. However, the cost for the consultation remained reasonable for the benefit of the people. In some cases, especially while considering online consultation of doctors for children, for a single consultation paid to the doctor, the window remains open for a week in the application. Moreover, you can chat and request an appointment with the doctor for further advice based on the recovering or deteriorating health condition. Therefore it is cost-effective compared to the frequent travel charges to the hospital for getting treated physically when it is not necessary.

 5th Myth - Patient's privacy is not ascertained

Another common belief is that the details and the diagnosis reports are not maintained securely, affecting the patient's privacy. However, there are specific guidelines provided to every doctor that they ensure to protect the information of every patient. In addition, the advancement in technology and data management services assure that the information is secure in the background. Doctors also ensure that they don't have anyone else with them during a consultation to make it comfortable for the patient to talk about their health concerns.

6th Myth - Chances of malpractices are high in an online consultation

When you consult an online doctor, your information, prescription, and medical history are maintained for future references. Furthermore, you get the prescription instantly and can save a copy of it. You also have the liberty to make follow-up calls, remind about the next appointment, etc., to get the healthcare services promptly. Therefore, in an online consultation of doctors, the level of transparency is high. As a result, you need not be concerned much about malpractice that can affect your treatment in any way!

7th Myth - Prescriptions provided through online consultation in India are not valid

It is a very common myth that many people believe, especially taking treatments for serious illnesses. However, as telemedicine has been made legal, a valid prescription of a doctor who provides online consultation or who works in a hospital providing online health care services is accepted. Therefore, you can take the prescription to any pharmacy for getting the necessary medicines or take the medical tests in laboratories for further treatment.

8th Myth - Life insurance benefits are not accepted in online consultations

Many of you prefer investing in life cover with add-on rider^# benefits such as the critical illness rider^# to get the necessary financial support when diagnosed with a critical illness. However, people believe that you cannot relate the insurance claim through online consultation. However, you can apply for the claim using the medical reports you received through the online consultation.

Conclusion

Online medical consultation in India has become increasingly important since the pandemic scenario. It is widely accepted for its convenient features. However, certain myths restrict the usage of online consultations. We have debunked eight myths among them. To conclude, online consultations are legal, secure, cost-effective, good in terms of quality, and can help you utilize the insurance benefits. So, treat yourself in the online mode when a physical examination for health concerns is not required!

L&C/Advt/2022/Nov/2888