The Excitement About Crappy Care

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I recently saw this in my email from an online journal:

Teladoc telehealth services roll out on Amazon’s Alexa

Patients will be able to say, “Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor,” to connect with Teladoc Health’s call center. It’s the latest example of Amazon adding health services to its voice assistant.

Wow. Are our training and expertise just marketing gimmicks now? Are we that much of a commodity that you can ask, on a whim, for a doctor on Alexa?

Direct Primary Care is the most comprehensive and accessible care that you can get right now. We answer texts, emails, and phone calls from our patients almost immediately. This is the gold standard. That being said, none of us want to wait for a bell that is rung by a patient. And isn’t that the same as “Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor?”

Users will then get a call back on their Echo devices from a Teladoc doctor for virtual visits related to non-emergency health needs, including symptoms of a cold, flu, allergies or COVID-19.   

https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/teladoc-partner-amazon-alexa-enabled-virtual-visits

Really? A cold? Allergies?

This is not what ANY of us went into primary care for. So who are the docs answering Alexa’s call? Are they docs? Are they just handing out inappropriate amounts of antibiotics and giving crappy care?

I think the better question may be why any doctor is doing this job with Teladoc versus doing Direct Primary Care and being the doctor you always thought you would be.

About Douglas Farrago, MD

Dr. Farrago is a retired family physician based in Forest, Virginia. Since 2021, he has run DPCnews.com, a leading resource for the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement. He is the author of three best-selling books on Direct Primary Care: The Official Guide to Starting Your Own Direct Primary Care Practice The Direct Primary Care Doctor’s Daily Motivational Journal Slowing the Churn in Direct Primary Care (While Also Keeping Your Sanity) In 2016, Dr. Farrago conceived the idea for the Direct Primary Care Alliance and co-founded the organization alongside other pioneering DPC physicians. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in the DPC model and frequently lectures to medical students, residents, and practicing physicians on how to successfully start and run their own DPC practices.Dr. Farrago sold his Direct Primary Care practice in October 2020 but continues to receive care there as a patient.