Are doctors even allowed to diagnose a patient without seeing them?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

I mean, isn't that against the law?

[roguevalley]

1. Its unethical in the least and illegal at the most.

[Indykatie]

5. Teleradiology and Other Remote Examinations

Remote examinations and teleradiology are very commn these days. These remote examinations should be accompanied by access to full medical records and any xrays, scans or other diagnostic results that exist. That clearly wasn't the case here.

[DulceDecorum]

2. "It's OK if You're a Republican".

EVERYTHING is OK if You're a Republican.
Check out Tom Delay.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Oh yeah, that's right!

I also forgot that it's a partisan attack when you mention laws being broke by Republicans, even when it's true.

[madinmaryland]

13. I see you know the rules for Repubs,

as defined by the Republicans:

1.) The Republicans are always correct.
2.) If a Republican is wrong or has done wrong, please re-read rule #1.

When will this shit end?

:mad:

[Cuban_Liberal]

4. It happens all the time in courtrooms.

It's neither illegal, nor unethical, AFAIK...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. see here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3393519&mesg_id=3393578

[Cuban_Liberal]

10. That wasn't the question that was asked, however.

:hi:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

14. The point is that

"expert testimony" is often given by people who are very familiar with the case, and even then, it is always denoted by the fact that they have not physically seen the patient.

[Cuban_Liberal]

15. I answered the question the opening post asked.

And I answered it correctly.

:hi:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

16. No, you didn't.

Offering an opinion is far different from a diagnosis.

[Cuban_Liberal]

17. Not substantively.

Sorry, but the language of the opening post wasn't precise enough to permit such parsing of my answer.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

18. No, I specifically said "diagnose".

Not my fault if you don't read it properly.

[Cuban_Liberal]

19. I read it properly, and my answer is correct.

Doctors do it in court all the time. Diagnosing IS offering an opinion, FYI.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

20. I know which side of the aisle you fall on this issue.

So I'm guessing we should let this end here.

[Cuban_Liberal]

21. Fine with me.

:hi:

[HockeyMom]

9. Just Imagine the possibilities for this

If doctors can now diagnose patients by video tape, you won't need them to be here in the USA. They can outsource them to INDIA.

[kanrok]

22. It's already happening

As one of the earlier posts suggests, teleradiology is a fact today. There is a company that has radiologists, in India, who review CT's MRI's and X-rays remotely, and issue radiological reports.

[patcox2]

11. Giving an opinion is not diagnosing.

Technical point, but an expert can give an opinion based on stipulated facts as to what he believes the diagnoses should be. But that same expert would be prohibited by ethical rules and the standard of care from actually treating the patient without a face to face.

[Cuban_Liberal]

12. Correct.

:thumbsup:

[patcox2]

6. Its against professional standards.

But on the other hand, look at the benefits, you can get viagra, vicodin, all manner of cool pharmeceuticals in a quasi-legal fashion after a phone-call examination by a "doctor." Jeb's poor trailer trash daughter need not have tried to pull of that trashy attempt to con the pharmacy into giving her xanax, she could have just gone the internet pharmacy route. Although it probably would have taken her a lot of blowjobs to earn the money, it is expensve to get your dope that way. Yippie tee yi yay, self medication, the only way to survive the Bush years.

[Avalux]

7. Think about it

a physician who would diagnose a patient without a thorough physical exam is acting in a manner that may harm the patient. Those physicians who have made statements on Terri Schiavo's diagnosis after watching videotapes or observing her without an exam should have their medical licenses yanked.