By Kristen Kendrick for NPR
Despite a foothold in medicine that predates Hippocrates himself, the traditional physical exam might be on the verge of extinction. The coronavirus crisis has driven more routine medical appointments online, accelerating a trend toward telemedicine that has already been underway.
This worries Dr. Paul Hyman, author of a recently published essay in JAMA Internal Medicine, who reflects on what’s lost when physicians see their patients almost exclusively through a screen.
A primary care physician in Maine, Hyman acknowledges he’d already begun second-guessing routine physicals on healthy patients as insurance requirements pushed doctors away from them.
But while Hyman is now providing mostly telemedicine, like many doctors during the pandemic, he writes that he has gained a clearer sense of the value of the age-old practice of examining patients in person. He notes the ability to offer reassurance, be present for his patients and find personal fulfillment as a doctor.
“I think there’s something therapeutic about seeing a physician and having them lay their hands on you, and my sense from the feedback I’ve gotten from the article already is that a lot of people agree that it’s therapeutic in its own right — and that can be lost without the physical exam,” Hyman told NPR.
Hyman spoke with NPR about his experience adjusting to a new world of medicine, one that eases access to health care providers yet has the potential to erode basic human connection.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
How has the sudden shift toward mostly virtual visits changed the way you practice medicine?
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