2023-09-13 17:15:27
Are teleconsultation booths the future of medicine, or in any case, of patients in medical deserts? In the Landes, around fifteen pharmacies are equipped with terminals or teleconsultation booths. A device that allows access to a general practitioner or specialist. It is without appointment, except for specialistsbut delivery times are quick.
In Roquefort, the two general practitioners will soon retire. A banner “We are looking for doctors” is displayed on a facade of the town. The Gaurel pharmacy took the plunge into teleconsultation at the beginning of 2022, Sérifé Auberger, the pharmacist, chose to install this teleconsultation booth to respond to a situation with which she is regularly confronted, in particular the end of week : “I have patients who come in with a medical problem to take care of quite quickly and without a prescription, so I have to refer them to a doctor to get a prescription. This is for example the case of patients who suffer from a urinary infection where they need immediate treatment with antibiotic therapy.”
Between 15 and 45 minutes of waiting for a consultation
The young woman discovered the concept of a teleconsultation booth during a conference. Its patients have since had this teleconsultation service in a cabin fully equipped for this purpose. Once in the cabin, the patient inserts his vital card and waits to be taken care of by a doctor. You have to wait 15 minutes, on average, but it can be up to 45 minutes.
The cabin is soundproofed and has 7 connected medical tools © Radio France – Leïla Benjelloun
From a thermometer to a blood pressure monitor, including a scale and a high-definition dermatoscope, seven medical and connected tools allow the doctor to carry out the consultation, via screen. The doctor carries out the examination as if the patient were facing him or almost. “Tool number 1, for example, is to take the tension. If the doctor asks the patient to use the tool to get the blood pressure value, he will ask to take tool number 1 without naming the blood pressure monitor. This way, all patients can use all the tools without necessarily knowing their name. There is an SOS button that allows the patient to call me if they are in trouble and need a helping hand” explains Sérifé Auberger.
The teleconsultation booth cannot replace the attending physician
When the teleconsultation booth was installed at the beginning of 2022, it was used by 3 or 4 patients per month. Today, around twenty consultations are carried out each month. Last August, 57 patients used it. However, for Sérifé Auberger, the system is not intended to replace the attending physician. “I think that what is essential with a family doctor is follow-up. You need to have a doctor who knows your history, your history. It is important to have medical monitoring. The cabin punctually addresses a situation, a problem, it responds to this need. For me, it does not replace the family doctor. She comes to support him” tempers the pharmacist.
Teleconsultation is covered by social security and mutual health insurance. Sérifé Auberger pays 600 euros per month to offer this service to its patients.
The two general practitioners from Roquefort will retire © Radio France – Leïla Benjelloun
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