According to a new survey, 77 percent of parents are looking for more online options when it comes to dealing with children's health care providers. The sticking point? They aren't willing to pay for it. According to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, half of respondents think that this type of online consultation should be free.
The poll surveyed 1,420 parents of children aged 0 to 17 years old. While most reported paying co-pays from $0 to $30 per visit to the pediatrician's office, the majority felt that email consultations should cost less – and as much as 48 percent reported that they felt this type of consultation should cost nothing at all.
"Most parents know it can be inconvenient to schedule and get to an office visit for a sick child. An email consultation would prevent the hassles of scheduling and allow sick children to remain at home … But many health care providers don't have co-pays established for this kind of consultation," Sarah Clark, M.P.H., associate director of the National Poll on Children's Health and associate research scientist in the University of Michigan Department of Pediatrics, told News Medical.
Clark also added that email consultation could provide a way for parents to consult a medical professional after office hours, a service that isn't often available and results in many unnecessary emergency room visits each year.
Concerns about online care
Health care providers still have a few concerns about online care, especially if the service is free. For one thing, answering these emails does require a certain amount of a health care professional's time, and depending on the volume of emails received, this could be detrimental and even financially prohibitive to the practice. Then there are the insurance providers to think about. This type of, presumably, low-budget care is exactly the sort of line item that frequently receives an upcharge in order to balance out more expensive types of care.
Another matter to consider is that a "free incentive" like the one many parents are calling for may prevent some from bringing a truly sick child to the doctor. This could delay critical care and result in potentially devastating side effects.
Why online care may not be such a bad idea
While there may be some kinks to work out, many parents and professionals argue that online health care can actually help the physician by reducing the amount of unnecessary office visits, freeing up time for things like vaccinations, preventative wellness exams and the truly serious cases.
Some advocates even argue that the process of sending an email is the equivalent of making a phone call directly to the doctor's office, a practice that many busy parents already engage in. It's not uncommon for a parent to call the pediatrician's office and describe symptoms in order to determine whether a visit to the physical office is necessary, and in many cases there's no charge for this type of service. It can be especially beneficial if the child is experiencing a flare-up of a chronic illness, and the mother or father simply wished the doctor to call in a prescription refill to treat the illness.
In fact, certain online services such as prescription filling or refilling already do exist. In many cases, the doctor will order the first round of treatment and the patient may request refills by going to a website and making the request. Many parents find this a worthwhile convenience.
FLAVORx makes medicinal flavorings that can be added to your child's prescription to make it taste better. Ask your pharmacist how you can get FLAVORx for your child.
