Answer to Question #81330 in Economics for Kay

Question

1. Some healthcare companies and clinics have implemented hotlines for medical questions, sometimes under a Call a Nurse format to help people decide when/if they should see a doctor. Now imagine a hotline where instead of seeing a doctor face-to-face, you could have a phone consultation with a doctor, cheaper than an actual visit. Is this a needed market remedy? Would this practice help with health care costs? What about quality of service? Share your thoughts about this hypothetical yet plausible development in healthcare

Answer 1

If instead of seeing a doctor face-to-face, you could have a phone consultation with a doctor, cheaper than an actual visit, then this may be a needed market remedy. This practice can help with health care costs, as a phone consultation is cheaper, but there may be additional costs, if the treatment is incorrect, as there is no possibility to see the patient, so the quality of service may be also lower.