Americans seem to like convenience care. Visits to retail clinics, for example, grew four-fold between 2007 and 2009, with nearly 6 million visits to such clinics in 2009 at an average cost of $78 per visit, according to an article in US News & World Report.
The convenience factor is pushed even farther with virtual medical consultations. These "visits" are available directly to consumers who can download an app. Using a range of computer devices, people with common ailments or who need quick advice in ongoing care for chronic conditions can have a virtual face-to-face with the board certified primary care physician of their choice, according to the article.
American Well, a telehealth service employs physicians for e-visits, or virtual computer consultations, for patients within specific insurance plans or physician practices. A consultation can start less than five minutes after the patient logged in, cost $49 and last 10 minutes.
American Well is not alone, the article said. The demand for quick access to doctors has created a range of virtual options including TeleDoc, in which patients with a limited set of symptoms can get a call back within an hour from the first available doctor. White Glove offers, in four states, a clinic in a car. The half million White Glove users can call in and receive a home visit from a physician or nurse practitioner whose black bag might contain a rapid test for strep throat or some of the most commonly used prescription drugs.
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