Does the GP need a new prescription for his business?
About a couple of years ago, I was at my family doctor’s. As I waited to have a word with him on a non-health matter, I looked around his clinic. Not a seat was vacant. In fact, some (most likely companions of patients) were standing. Someone coughed, another struggled to contain a sneezing bout. The doctor’s assistants weaved in and out through the crowd, taking care of the preliminary investigations, collecting reports, handing out medicines and doing whatever little they could to save the doctor’s time. The doctor was very popular, very busy and this was a typical evening at his clinic.
Imagine the same clinic some four or five months hence. The chairs have been spaced out; many are unoccupied. A large TV in the waiting area keeps repeating a message: “Please register as a patient and fill in all required information. Call the doctor first for a telephonic consultation and visit the clinic only if the doctor calls you. Kindly make all payments online in advance.”
At a time when all of us are acutely conscious of health (both personal and economic) I wonder about the status of the first professional we contact the moment we have a health niggle—the general practitioner (GP). There is no doing away with them for sure. However, as a business consultant, I also wonder if and how they need to tweak their business model.
Does the GP need a new business prescription?
Just yesterday, I happened to browse through the website of a leading hospital chain. I can consult a GP for just ₹ 250. I can choose the doctor based on the languages he or she speaks, decide if I want to consult via a video call, audio call or email, book a slot and pay online. As simple as that!
Need something more specialized? There is a very senior radiation oncologist available for ₹ 10,000 for the first consultation and something a little less for every follow-up session (of course, please pay in advance).
All of them may not join one hospital or the other. Yet, will the GPs need to collaborate more and tap into central digital resources to save cost, to distribute workload more efficiently and to keep abreast of fast-evolving health directives? Will a common facility make setting up of hot spots and the mandatory sanitization measures more cost-effective? Will they need an app to facilitate easy sharing of information among fellow doctors without overstepping bounds of data privacy?
Many doctors operate from residential locations, while others are in commercial buildings. In either case, how will their fellow residents and occupants react to having a steady stream of potentially “infected” people coming to meet and spend time with the doctor? Is it feasible to have sanitized “doctors only” hubs? Will it be possible any longer to access a doctor within minutes in an emergency?
Is India ready for the GP on call?
Availability of the necessary protective equipment is a universal concern. In India, where the telemedicine model is yet taking baby steps, the efficiency of common diagnostic devices (like the thermometer and the BP apparatus) at home is also suspect. That makes self-assessment of critical diagnostic information iffy, which can affect the course of treatment. That in turn can impact the reputation and business of the doctor.
According to a renowned dermatologist in Hyderabad, “Patients will take time to get used to the idea that they will need to pay first just to have a ‘word’ with the doctor. If the patient must come to the clinic, it would be difficult to tell him or her to come alone, leaving the usual retinue of attendants at home, especially if the patient is a senior citizen.”
Will Doctor Google become more popular?
When it comes to practicalities, the lone family doctor might find the going a little tough. Such practices may take a hit as people may not want to pay first to visit the GP for “the usual” illnesses. Even before the virus arrived, there was a steady increase in those who graduated from the Google School of Medicine and could switch specialties at a click and a swipe. However, there are also enough of us left yet, who must have the doctor’s touch (or at least that of stethoscope) to feel better. The latter category might feel deprived. Will the new GP end up losing a chunk of both customer groups?
Technology may appear to offer a panacea but comes with its own threats. Will the maker of my advanced health-monitoring wristband diversify into diagnostics and send me a screaming message the moment my pulse approaches the danger mark? Will an app decide when I need a doctor? Taking the next obvious step, will it also decide which doctor to autodial?
Will doctors require special training in monitor-side manners? Will they lose the intangible “touch” that contributed to their reputation and consequently their revenues?
As of now, there is no clear diagnosis; a prognosis is far away. Like all other business enterprises, doctors will need to review where they stand, arrive at the healthiest response and redesign their practices before they can hope for a revival.
Dear general practitioner, you do need to heal thyself and keep thy practice safe. For our sake. We needed you before the virus; we now need you even more.