East meets west

Technology has changed this world and despite the possibility of misuse, overall I would like to believe it’s been for the better.

My doctor who migrated to the US, has embraced this advancement in technology so that his patients here can still consult him. Skype video call has become the bridge between the US and India.

So it works this way: The patients would continue to be received at his consulting room in India. A qualified homeopathy doctor, who was training under him, would receive the patients’ case history and examine them. A doctor-patient chat can happen in real time through the medium of a video chat.

Prior to my doctor permanently shifting base, I had experienced this once. Given the time difference in California and Mumbai, I did not think he would continue consulting this way on a daily basis. 

When I contracted sore throat, given my faith in homeopathy, I tried a new and highly incompetent doctor. This was before I knew my doctor was up for sleep deprivation on a regular basis. When I realized he was, I decided to not bother with a locum.

I called the clinic when my sore throat refused to heal. You can imagine my surprise, when I realized my doctor was in Mumbai for a short while! 

Once we were done with my medicines, he took me through how technology had enabled him to consult across the globe. With this method of practice, it is now possible to have ‘face to face’ online consultations with patients from all over the US and other countries. With Google+ now offering upto 10 video conferences at the same time, there are even greater opportunities. My doctor and his doctor wife consult together on cases as well. In fact, one can consult with multiple specialists at the same time and as my doctor says ‘the patient lives happily ever after’.

A visit to the doctor is typically about ailment discussion, physical examination followed by a medical evaluation and prescribing medicines. I never thought I would ever see the application of a video chat in medicine(despite having seen a glimpse of it in '3 Idiots'). But I have tried it and believe me - it works just fine... :)