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Relaxation of medical teleconsultation to avoid travel

Published on 17 March 2020
Update on 26 September 2022
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Summary

In the context of an epidemic, teleconsultation simplifies patient access to a consultation. It reduces the need to travel, limits the risk of contamination of the doctor and patients in waiting rooms, and helps to relieve the pressure on hospitals and regional call centers, which are facing an influx of calls. In case of symptoms, the doctor can then propose to the patient an adapted treatment (prescription, sick leave, etc.) or refer him to a screening site.

A decree, published on March 10, aims to facilitate access to medical teleconsultations.

Teleconsultation is a medical consultation carried out remotely by an authorized practitioner. To take advantage of it, all you have to do is connect to a teleconsultation platform, create an account and make an appointment with a professional. The cost of the session is 25 euros for a general practitioner, covered by the Health Insurance since 2018. It is possible to pay by credit card online, via the payment system of specialized platforms.

Since the decree, it is no longer mandatory to go through one's primary care physician or to have had a physical consultation in the previous 12 months with the physician in question to be reimbursed for a teleconsultation. People who suspect they are infected with Covid-19 can ask any doctor and be covered. The only condition is that they prefer a practitioner in their territory.

Several companies offer teleconsultation platforms that integrate the entire patient journey, from making an appointment to payment, including the medical act via videoconference, correspondence via secure messaging and secure storage of personal data and medical documents. The patient only needs to have a computer connected to the Internet and equipped with a webcam, a tablet or a smartphone.

Other platforms are operated by regional organizations, as proposed by the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) and the Regional Union of Health Professionals (URPS).

Doctolib had made its teleconsultation service available free of charge to all doctors in the country during the Covid-19 epidemic. Following the publication of the decree, Doctolib clarified its commitment. " For now, on Doctolib, a doctor can only perform video consultations for his patients and after having received them physically at his office in the last 12 months. It is within this framework that the 180,000 video consultations performed so far on Doctolib have been reimbursed to patients as physical consultations. In accordance with this morning's decree, we will lift this condition in the coming days for all patients exposed to Covid-19."

The German medical software company CompuGroup Medical (CGM) had also offered "the free provision of its teleconsultation solution to all healthcare professionals, including those who are not equipped with a CGM solution".

Teleconsultation platforms such as Doctolib, Qare, ConsuLib, Docavenue or MesDocteurs all report an increase in teleconsultations, excluding Covid-19. " It's a way for the patient to have a remote consultation, protecting the doctor and avoiding interactions with other patients. They are teleconsulting for other reasons than Covid-19 but they are limiting the spread of it," observes the founder of Doctolib.

Références :

"Any of the technological means currently available to make a video transmission"

The decree published on March 10 determines " the derogatory conditions for the reimbursement of telemedicine procedures for people affected by or potentially infected with the coronavirus, who will be able to benefit from these procedures even if they do not have an attending physician practicing teleconsultation, nor have they been referred by him or known by the teleconsulting physician. As provided for in the medical convention, these teleconsultations must be carried out as a priority within the framework of coordinated territorial organizations. They can be carried out using any of the technological means currently available to carry out a video transmission (dedicated equipped place but also secure site or application via a computer, a tablet or a smartphone, equipped with a webcam and connected to the internet)".

Patients are invited to contact preferably a doctor indicated by the health insurance or an attending physician in his territory: the decree also allows "if he does not find one that he can contact by FaceTime or WhatsApp another doctor who is able to make his prescription, his work stoppage," detailed the Minister of Health on France Info March 10 morning.

This opening of teleconsultation to applications such as FaceTime or WhatsApps has sparked a debate. A number of health data professionals regret that the decree does not recommend more strictly the use of specialized platforms authorized by the health authorities to process health data and whose architecture guarantees to both patients and professionals the performance of the medical act within a legal framework.

Références :

Simplified access to Predice teleconsultation in the Hauts-de-France region

The Hauts-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS) has just opened the Prédice regional program's secure teleconsultation service to all general practitioners and specialists in the region.

Doctors in the Hauts-de-France region can perform Predice teleconsultations with patients in a confined space. In case of symptoms, the doctor can then propose to the patient an adapted treatment (prescription, sick leave, etc.) or refer him to a screening site.

Teleconsultation is initiated by the doctor, who proposes it to his patient when making an appointment. The doctor then sends the patient a secure link on which to connect to initiate the teleconsultation. Depending on the situation, the patient may be accompanied by a health professional, such as a nurse.

If necessary, online and telephone support is available to doctors to help them learn how to use the solution and answer their questions. In addition, the ARS Hauts de France, the GIP Sant& Numérique and the URPS Médecins will organize webinars to present Predice telemedicine and answer questions that this practice in this particular context may raise.

 

Référence :

Sources

Relaxation of medical teleconsultation to avoid travel

In the context of an epidemic, teleconsultation simplifies patient access to a consultation. It reduces the need to travel, limits the risk of contamination of the doctor and patients in waiting rooms, and helps to relieve the pressure on hospitals and regional call centers, which are facing an influx of calls. In case of symptoms, the doctor can then propose to the patient an adapted treatment (prescription, sick leave, etc.) or refer him to a screening site.

A decree, published on March 10, aims to facilitate access to medical teleconsultations.

Teleconsultation is a medical consultation carried out remotely by an authorized practitioner. To take advantage of it, all you have to do is connect to a teleconsultation platform, create an account and make an appointment with a professional. The cost of the session is 25 euros for a general practitioner, covered by the Health Insurance since 2018. It is possible to pay by credit card online, via the payment system of specialized platforms.

Since the decree, it is no longer mandatory to go through one's primary care physician or to have had a physical consultation in the previous 12 months with the physician in question to be reimbursed for a teleconsultation. People who suspect they are infected with Covid-19 can ask any doctor and be covered. The only condition is that they prefer a practitioner in their territory.

Several companies offer teleconsultation platforms that integrate the entire patient journey, from making an appointment to payment, including the medical act via videoconference, correspondence via secure messaging and secure storage of personal data and medical documents. The patient only needs to have a computer connected to the Internet and equipped with a webcam, a tablet or a smartphone.

Other platforms are operated by regional organizations, as proposed by the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) and the Regional Union of Health Professionals (URPS).

Doctolib had made its teleconsultation service available free of charge to all doctors in the country during the Covid-19 epidemic. Following the publication of the decree, Doctolib clarified its commitment. " For now, on Doctolib, a doctor can only perform video consultations for his patients and after having received them physically at his office in the last 12 months. It is within this framework that the 180,000 video consultations performed so far on Doctolib have been reimbursed to patients as physical consultations. In accordance with this morning's decree, we will lift this condition in the coming days for all patients exposed to Covid-19."

The German medical software company CompuGroup Medical (CGM) had also offered "the free provision of its teleconsultation solution to all healthcare professionals, including those who are not equipped with a CGM solution".

Teleconsultation platforms such as Doctolib, Qare, ConsuLib, Docavenue or MesDocteurs all report an increase in teleconsultations, excluding Covid-19. " It's a way for the patient to have a remote consultation, protecting the doctor and avoiding interactions with other patients. They are teleconsulting for other reasons than Covid-19 but they are limiting the spread of it," observes the founder of Doctolib.

Références :

"Any of the technological means currently available to make a video transmission"

The decree published on March 10 determines " the derogatory conditions for the reimbursement of telemedicine procedures for people affected by or potentially infected with the coronavirus, who will be able to benefit from these procedures even if they do not have an attending physician practicing teleconsultation, nor have they been referred by him or known by the teleconsulting physician. As provided for in the medical convention, these teleconsultations must be carried out as a priority within the framework of coordinated territorial organizations. They can be carried out using any of the technological means currently available to carry out a video transmission (dedicated equipped place but also secure site or application via a computer, a tablet or a smartphone, equipped with a webcam and connected to the internet)".

Patients are invited to contact preferably a doctor indicated by the health insurance or an attending physician in his territory: the decree also allows "if he does not find one that he can contact by FaceTime or WhatsApp another doctor who is able to make his prescription, his work stoppage," detailed the Minister of Health on France Info March 10 morning.

This opening of teleconsultation to applications such as FaceTime or WhatsApps has sparked a debate. A number of health data professionals regret that the decree does not recommend more strictly the use of specialized platforms authorized by the health authorities to process health data and whose architecture guarantees to both patients and professionals the performance of the medical act within a legal framework.

Références :

Simplified access to Predice teleconsultation in the Hauts-de-France region

The Hauts-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS) has just opened the Prédice regional program's secure teleconsultation service to all general practitioners and specialists in the region.

Doctors in the Hauts-de-France region can perform Predice teleconsultations with patients in a confined space. In case of symptoms, the doctor can then propose to the patient an adapted treatment (prescription, sick leave, etc.) or refer him to a screening site.

Teleconsultation is initiated by the doctor, who proposes it to his patient when making an appointment. The doctor then sends the patient a secure link on which to connect to initiate the teleconsultation. Depending on the situation, the patient may be accompanied by a health professional, such as a nurse.

If necessary, online and telephone support is available to doctors to help them learn how to use the solution and answer their questions. In addition, the ARS Hauts de France, the GIP Sant& Numérique and the URPS Médecins will organize webinars to present Predice telemedicine and answer questions that this practice in this particular context may raise.

 

Référence :

Sources

Labo Société Numérique

Labo République Française Agence nationale de cohésion des territoires
Relaxation of medical teleconsultation to avoid travel