A recent study from the University of Bergen shows that e-consultations led to more frequent contact with the doctor and increased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, compared to physical attendance. “We are concerned about the consequences of a possible introduction of municipal online doctors,” says one of the researchers behind the study.
Proposes municipal online doctors
In April, the government presented 13 measures in its announced GP reformOne of these measures is the launch of a municipal online doctor: If you cannot get an appointment with your own GP, or the appointment does not suit you, it will be possible to have a digital consultation with another doctor with whom the municipality has an agreement.
The use of e-consultations increased enormously during the COVID-19 pandemic, from accounting for 1 percent of all consultations in the years before the pandemic, to representing around 40 percent in early 2020. Today, it is estimated that e-consultations account for approximately 25 percent of all annual consultations in Norwegian general practice.
Read the whole story here: https://www.uib.no/med/179769/bruk-av-nettlege-kan-gi-%C3%B8kt-foreskriving-av-antibiotika