Would you be happy to see your doctor online?

Growing numbers of patients seem to be attracted by the convenience. And doctors are also finding it useful as health services come under pressure from growing and ageing populations.

Lydia Campbell-Hill, a 35-year-old doctor from Cornwall, England, says switching to online consultations has transformed her life.

"As a 'part-time' GP [general practitioner] working three days a week, I was doing 39 hours or more," she says.

"I was solo parenting, paying vast amounts on childcare, and not seeing my child much."

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47196286

Could patients become their own doctors?

An NHS where patients stay at home and rarely attend GP surgeries or hospital out-patient appointments is likely in a decade's time, according to US health expert Dr Eric Topol, who was asked by ministers to look at how technology would change the role of health staff in England.

Many patients, according to his report, will be managing their own long-term conditions, for example high blood pressure and lung disease, with wearable devices and sensors, which will be much more effective than occasional appointments with a doctor.

The buzz phrase is the "democratisation of healthcare".

People who might have had to occupy a hospital bed for a few days for observation will be sent home instead.

Elderly patients, including those with dementia, will be monitored at home, with cameras and devices to detect falls built into the floor.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47205496