AMA supports new technology in medical practice
The AMA this week released its Position Statement on technology-based patient consultations.
The new position statement has updated and replaced the AMA Position Statement on Online and other Broadband Connected Medical Consultations 2006. It provides doctors with guidance to set appropriate fees for technology-based consultations and sends a signal to the Government that Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) arrangements should be available to patients accessing these services.
AMA Vice President, Professor Geoffrey Dobb, said technology-based patient consultations can improve patient access to care and enhance efficiency in medical practice, but that technology-based patient consultations should complement face-to-face consultations, not replace them. He added that they should be used as an adjunct to normal medical practice for regular patients of the practice, and they should not be used in a way that fragments the ongoing care of the patient.
