Technology and Instant Communication: New Visions for Primary Care

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Jay Parkinson, MD, MPH A relatively new primary care practice based in Brooklyn, New York, is using new ways to serve the un- and under-insured communities in its own neighborhood. The practice, Hello Health, is based on membership and pay-per-visit office fees from patients instead of insurance, and encourages patients to communicate with their physician via instant message, email and video chat. But critics of this model say internet communication is often misinterpreted and cannot be relied upon to build a solid physician-patient relationship. Dr. Jay Parkinson, co-founder of Hello Health, describes his new model for healthcare and his plans for expanding the internet-based primary care practice model. Is this model really the way of the future? Dr. Michael Greenberg hosts. You can visit Hello Health here.