PP 011 The Telemedicine RANT

Direct To Consumer Pediatric Telemedicine is #$X&@ terrible (adult oriented urgent care center for kids are not much better). Antibiotics for everyone – antibiotic stewardship destroyed. Rob and Matt expose the fallacy of quality care by phone or video for children AND highlight the absurdity and dangers of diagnosing ear infections, lung disease, strep, abdominal pain and urine infections by history alone with NO stethoscopes, otoscopes, throat swabs, or lab test and, most of all, NO hands-on care. All of this is being pushed by big health insurers, large employers and hospitals in partnership with for profit docs-in-the-phones with no prior relationship and no access to records, pushing convenience and savings over quality care for children and babies. Inferior care incentivized over the Pediatric Medical Home. Yeah, we are pissed.