Amazon Telehealth - coming to your ar... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Amazon Telehealth - coming to your area soon?

CDreamer profile image
35 Replies

I am rather ambivalent about the move to AI Telehealth but given the state of our collective health systems???????

But on Amazon??????

Amazon is encouraging patients to "skip the waiting room" with the launch of Amazon Clinic, a virtual health care service that aims to offer treatment for nearly 2 dozen common health conditions.Taking a step beyond a typical telehealth visit, the service promises personalized treatment with no appointments, video calls, or live chat. Patients can answer questions about their symptoms and health history to receive a treatment plan and prescription medication through a messaging platform.

But isn’t that what we have in e-consult?

medscape.com/viewarticle/98...

Available only in US but I guess it’s only a matter of time…….sigh.

What do others think?

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CDreamer profile image
CDreamer
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35 Replies
LaceyLady profile image
LaceyLady

NO NO

Visigoth profile image
Visigoth

Can’t say I like that idea at all! Although I do think there’s a need for more telemedicine, provided it’s done right. My surgery has recently launched (or maybe joined) a service called Livi whereby you can get a video appointment with a registered GP quite quickly - albeit not a GP from the practice.

mrgwair567 profile image
mrgwair567

I don’t like the sound of this !! Could be an exercise in gaining personal details etc:!!

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply tomrgwair567

Well Amazon already have my details - but not my Health Record!

Afibflipper profile image
Afibflipper

can’t say I’m enthralled by the idea! It seems a mixture of google and 111 but I also agree with comment by mrgwair567 in that it could be seen as a way of getting more data uploaded about you

wilsond profile image
wilsond

I am not keen at all on this idea. Potential for data breaches with such a high profile global provider.No from me. Tele appointments all very well,but physical.examinatio is most important. For example a friend of mine has not been able to see a dr face to face for 2 years. She now has finally seen one and is now on chemo and radium treatment for cancer.

Autumn_Leaves profile image
Autumn_Leaves

No

G'day CD,

Undecided, certainly my GP's practice is as much use as a chocolate fireguard and I just can't be bothered with them. Fortunately, I'm in fairly good health and so I don't need them other than for repeat prescriptions ( done on line) and to follow up on various checks that I need to have done periodically, and of course for my annual medical I must have by law to enable my PCV ( bus drivers) licence to be renewed. That will be an interesting exercise in March 2023 when my next medical is due. I wonder if it will be an eConsult type medical this time around and if so will it meet DVLA approval.

Then as others have written there is data protection and an operate for profit organisation like Amazon leaves me cold in that regard.

John

secondtry profile image
secondtry

I think we have to accept there has been a rapid change in the GP service and it is unlikely to come back. We therefore also need to adapt an a la carte approach on all fronts.

I use the GP surgery for simple things like repeat scrips (I make sure I always have one months supply in advance due to possible supply issues) and annual blood tests/ECG. I see my cardiologist privately once every 2 years now. Any more serious issues that may occur, I plan to taken holistic approach with an Alternative Practitioner or my GP as a last resort.

It is not the healthiest that survive the longest but the ones that are most adaptable ....or something like that 😂

bassets profile image
bassets in reply tosecondtry

Lucky you - our GP won't issue more than a month's supply of meds ata a time.

secondtry profile image
secondtry in reply tobassets

Nor will mine, but over a number of months I ordered a few days earlier each time until I had the right level of security!

bassets profile image
bassets in reply tosecondtry

Ours won't play!

irene75359 profile image
irene75359 in reply tosecondtry

Exactly what I do!

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply tobassets

No one has bothered to change the amount of my script - from about 8 years ago when we were travelling a lot so I got 2 months of everything and still do 🙊

Paulbounce profile image
Paulbounce

Hi CD.

Not sure about this one. I did read a few articles in the past about this. One was very much in favour as it claimed AI could diagnose an illness, as well as a doctor, can. Maybe in time even better. Take chess computers as an example. In the 80s and 90s, it was thought impossible that a chess computer would ever beat a grandmaster at chess. Now I have an app on my tablet that would beat the world chess champion - even Bobby Fisher who was the greatest player of all time IMO.

I think AI will play a massive role in medicine whether we like it or not. It's a moot point if this is a step forward or not. I'm on the fence but if I had to jump off I would hop on the 'yes' side. I think it is inevitable anyway.

Paul

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply toPaulbounce

I agree about diagnosis but this seems not to be that on further reading - just a way of getting prescriptions for already diagnosed conditions at a flat rate - but how on earth they would check that someone already had a diagnosis without access to health records?

Paulbounce profile image
Paulbounce in reply toCDreamer

There are many ways to do that CD as humankind moves forward (or backwards!). Take cryptocurrency as an example. I have a dapple from time to time. I bought a load of Medicalchain on one occasion. According to the white paper, any GP in the world would be able to access my medical records - including AI with my permission (a doctor was behind this). There are now many such crypto coins - MediBloc being one such example. Fast forward 10 years and everything will be on the blockchain regarding our medical records and easy to access but not without our permission. It can't be hacked and will keep our details private and be only accessible with our agreement.

Paul

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply toPaulbounce

I get blockchain - I think - and one of the frustrations of seeking medical help abroad is that doctor’s don’t have access to medical records, although it is getting a little easier these days but still don’t really want a company such as Amazon in the loop, or even worse Insurance companies.

Paulbounce profile image
Paulbounce in reply toCDreamer

CD -it maybe a little late for some of us! Amazon were going to buy the FitBit but Google pipped them to the post. I for one have a FitBit watch and the app to check my performance etc. Google already know what my heart rate is, the fact I'm in afib and where I am in the world at any given moment. They even know which pub's I've been to and what time I go to bed. Serious - I'm not joking.

George Orwell 1984 anyone?

Paul

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply toPaulbounce

I think that’s what I get ambivalent about - at one level it can be extremely helpful but the Big Brother element is so open to abuse and control.

You’ll need to have Amazon Prime I’ve heard ….

Paulbounce profile image
Paulbounce in reply to

😂

mrdarcy1 profile image
mrdarcy1

Hi CDreamer,

Did NHS England not sell of the British publics medical records to Amazon or others???

I could be wrong, however I remember something about this.

No, I've just went back and checked, it was Matt Hancock, he is the first Tory to give anything away for free!!

Maybe he'll get to make a speech for £10 million from Amazon in the future!!!!

theguardian.com/society/201...

(NHS data is being handed over to Amazon at no charge under a controversial deal between the US giant and the Department of Health and Social Care.

While individual patient data is not being given to the company, a copy of the December 2018 contract between Amazon and the DHSC reveals the company will be able to profit from its access to a range of information contained on the nhs.uk website.)

I remember something about having to "opt out"

Not for this, myself, I did "opt out"

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply tomrdarcy1

Now that is very troubling.

DevonHubby1 profile image
DevonHubby1

Whilst I don't see or want amazon replacing my GP I can see that big tech firms may be able to trial proactive health monitoring at a scale our cash strapped NHS would never attempt. Certainly my FitBit takes my data and it goes back to a central server. I have already given them permission to use that data to look for signs of AF. Whilst I appreciate some will be nervous of big companies having your health data, I personslly would welcome it if they could spot and alert me or my GP before it became life threatening. Having said that, given a choice between my GP's e-consult and Amazon's I'd use my GPS's .

KMRobbo profile image
KMRobbo

If it is Amazon I dont want it. It will start off cheap, then increase the prices when the competition goes away!

2learn profile image
2learn

I try not to use Amazon as they avoid paying proper tax and put high street shops out of business, whereas people who PAYE have no choice same with shopsand rates. Amazon are just a corrupt greedy organisation.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply to2learn

Agreed, trouble is they are excellent at what they do and also give a platform to start ups and small companies which they wouldn’t otherwise have.

belindalore profile image
belindalore

If the USA is involved with this telehealth, with what's going on in this country lately, I see nothing but trouble 😞. The USA has one of the worst outcomes for healthcare in the world. Google it. Because of the government involvement with insurance. It's a mess. And to see the possibility of it spreading to other countries is troubling. Those of you in the UK and some other countries may at times gripe about your care or bad Drs but at least it seems everyone is able to get care. Even though it may not be the best. But you CAN GET care. Not true here.

One more thing. Any of you who think your info could not be hacked in this proposed telehealth. Ha!

Qualipop profile image
Qualipop

That would scare the living daylights out of me. Absolutely NO

Windlepoons profile image
Windlepoons

Gawd! Discouraging us to interact with other humans is not my way. 😟💖

TanyaSo profile image
TanyaSo

I don't think its a good idea.

No way! It sounds like it will be run by computers and alga rhythms. But it did say for common issues.

kocoach profile image
kocoach

Welcome to Socialist Health Care.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply tokocoach

oh no - you pay!

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