Merits And Demerits Of Online Medical Consultation

Internet is a vast source of information. From finding right medical insurance policy to gaining more information about a drug, internet can do it all for you. But have you thought of getting a drug prescription over the internet? If not, then there is a good news for you as you can get it next time and enter the whole new world of online consultation and prescription services. The cumbersome and four fold process of calling the doctor, fixing an appointment, waiting for the turn and finally getting the prescription has changed into an easy and fast process of online consultation. But with the consultation and prescription services being available on the click of a mouse, it has become necessary to discuss about the merits and demerits of such services. Some of the merits of availing online consultation and prescription can be written down as flexible timing, fast service, convenience, affordability and privacy. In the traditional practice of visiting a doctor personally, the clinic timings are fixed. As such the doctor can only be consulted during a limited time frame. But the online or e-physician is available round the clock. The traditional appointment depends fully upon the will of the concerned doctor while online appointment rests solely on the will of the patient. Speedy service is another merit of online medication. The time duration, that is spent in booking an appointment over the phone can be utilized for a complete consultation and prescription process over the internet. The online prescription process is a paperless process unlike the traditional one. The most important facet of online medical consultation is the convenience factor. The online medical consultation comes with zero inconvenience while commuting to the doctor's clinic and back home several times can create inconvenience to the patient. Waiting for a long time at the clinic can also irritate the patient. Regularly visiting a doctor requires money. The unavoidable travel expenses combined with other medical expenses may considerably erode a person's savings. Online medical consultation do not require any travel and as such the travel related expenses are nil. Moreover, the online consultation charges are not so high and that can further cut down the expenses on medical bills. Some of the diseases that are commonly treated under the online medical consultation services are flu, herpes, pink eye, acne, allergies, anxiety, coughs, dry skin, ear infections, erectile dysfunction, impetigo, itchy eyes, pharyngitis, laryngitis, scalp rash, poison ivy, sunburns, smoking cessation, upper respiratory infections, athletes foot and bronchitis. The credibility of the online medical consultant or website providing such service should always be checked thoroughly before taking prescription for poison oak treatment or any other medical condition. Apart from the merits of online medical consultation and prescription, there are few demerits as well. The online prescription is more suitable for few medical conditions only and for more chronic diseases, one must consult the doctor personally. The online physician is good for non-emergency medical challenges while in emergency medical conditions the consultation with traditional doctor becomes unavoidable. The effectiveness of traditional treatment is always high in complex and deadly diseases.