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What can e-med offer?
We
are a doctors surgery that you can contact
by e-mail, phone or fax. If we cannot sort
out your problems in that manner, then you
will be asked to come in for further investigations
or examination.
If
you live too far away from our doctors, then
arrangements can be made to access other private
GPs, or referral to a private consultant in
your area.
All the services that you would normally find
in your GP and more-such as health checks
and minor surgery are available through e-med.
Our service is quick, friendly and efficient
and gives you the peace of mind knowing that
you can contact your doctor THAT DAY .
Why is e-med still the only service like this in the world?
Since we started, many have tried to copy what we do, BUT e-med remains unique. We offer far more than a single email back.
We will arrange any referral/investigation or even a prescription for you. That is how we can offer online diagnosis and treatment. And now we offer Skype Video Consultations - the first medical practice in the world to do so.
Can I obtain a prescription for Insomnia, Anxiety/Mental Health Issues or Pain like symptoms?
It is e-med Policy that medication of this sort is potentially abusable, and as such can only be prescribed by the patient's normal NHS GP or family doctor.
Where
is the e-med surgery ?
The
primary e-med
surgery is located at:
The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth
60 Grove End Rd
St Johns Wood
London
NW8 9NH
Can you diagnose by
e-mail?
Yes,
in certain circumstances as many medical diagnoses
are made from the history of the problem alone,
and in many problems the course of action
is not dependent on the results of a physical
examination.
E-mail is like a slow conversation - it is
dependent on typing speed and server speed.
When you first start consulting with e-med
you may feel more at ease by just phoning,
but as you get to know us, or if requests
are simple then in time you will be happier
with e-consulting.
If you have a webcam we can consult using
that as well.
We can give medical advice, organise referrals
and prescriptions for people in the UK or
abroad.
We are here to help you. So if you want to
consult by phone... that's fine, if you want
to come in to see the doctor... that's fine
as well, and if you're happier e-mailing we
can do that too.
We integrate all current communication means
to help you access your e-med
doctor.
Is it secure to e-mail my symptoms or details
to e-med?
We
use an SSL encrypted server for your e-mails,
but if you are concerned about any details
or results being passed to you on the Net
then we can call you or fax with them just
as easily.
In some cases your doctor may even ask to
see you if there is anything that needs handling
more personally.
What if you can't make
a diagnosis by e-mail?
When we receive you e-mail we will ask you
to call your e-med doctor immediately if your
symptoms need discussing more urgently and
we can help you that way.
But if we feel it is necessary we will ask
you to come in to see your doctor for a face
to face consultation to effect a diagnosis
or to treat you.
What about medical investigations?
If
you need some investigations to work towards
a diagnosis such as blood tests then they
can be performed by your e-med doctor,but
if you are unable to come in then we will
arrange for them to be performed at a site
convenient to your location.
Other investigations can also be arranged
remotely such as X-rays , ultrasound or CT
and MRI.
The results will be sent to your e-med
doctor who can then advise you on what to
do next.
How quickly will you
respond?
This will depend upon the problem.
We monitor all e-mails throughout the day
with the urgent calls taking priority.
Alternatively you have the e-med
phone number and the doctor is always on hand
with a pager.
Can you refer me on
my insurance?
Yes. If you are privately insured, as your
private GP, we can refer you to whoever your
policy allows.
What hours are you available?
The e-mail is an 'open' round the clock service,
especially as many of our clients are registered
from abroad or are travelling in different
time zones.
Can you prescribe without
seeing me?
Yes.
If the condition is straight forward to diagnose
or it is a repeat prescription. However there
may be occasions when we need to see you before
prescribing some drugs.
If you are outside the UK then advice can
be given on how to obtain your medication.
We can contact a pharmacist near where you
are for the medication to be picked up by
you, or even e-mail a pharmacy for it to be
delivered the next day.
How much does it cost?
Membership costs £20.00 (approx $US35) for each member
per annum.
Each time you use the service an additional
charge of £15.00 (approx $US25) is made. If you need
to come in and see the doctor then a charge
of £40.00 (approx $US65) is payable (you will not be
billed the £15.00) plus any investigations.
Why do I have to become
a member?
At e-med your health and safety are our priorities.
Of course there are difficulties with e-consulting
so that is why we require you to become a
member of our practise. When you join you
fill in a detailed Confidential Health Questionnaire
which means we have the sort of information
that we need and so don't have to ask you
every time you consult.
This also means that consultation is quicker,
and that we can charge you AFTER a consultation,
rather than by the minute in a chatroom like
other sites.
The price is fixed no matter how many e-mails
or phone calls it takes .
As a member you get a PIN and Password which
you need to access your doctor, which means
we can be sure of your previous medical history
and treat you confidentially.
How do I pay?
You can pay by Credit Card or cheque.
What happens to my medical
notes?
These are kept on computer that is not online
and so it is secure from any hackers.
You will also be sent any details of consultations
or investigation results for your own files
either by e-mail, post or fax, if requested.
The choice is up to you.
Do I have to leave my
NHS GP to become an e-med member?
No you don't and we don't advocate it either.
Unless you have Private Insurance it can be
very expensive to pay for ongoing medical
tests or hospital referrals. So if you don't
have PI you can use us to access quicker consultations,
getting advice , diagnosis and even prescriptions
without the usual wait for an NHS GP appointment,
but if there is anything that may be a financial
burden to you if it is obtained privately,
then we can advise you on how to access it
through the NHS so you don't have to pay.
Does e-med inform my family doctor about consultations?
The doctors at e-med are happy to inform any other doctor you feel necessary about e-med consultations. We will need their address if you wish us to do this.
However if you do not want us to inform any other doctor about your e-med consultation then by law we can not do this. We will then take full responsibility for your care as pertains to the nature of the consultation.
Likewise you can simply print off your e-mail consultation and show this to your family doctor as you wish.
How do you ensure that
no one else can contact you and access my medical
notes?
We
need your PIN and Password on top of every
e-mail you send us, these are kept at the
e-med
surgery to verify you are who you say you
are.
Similarly if you phone us we will ask for
these details too.
If you lose your membership card or forget
your password you can call or e-mail us where
we will ask for certain personal details to
verify yourself.
Are
the prescriptions private or NHS?
All
our prescriptions are issued privately. Therefore
they do not incur the £6.00 NHS Prescription
Charge. The charge for the prescription -
that is paid to your pharmacist - reflects
the actual cost of the medication, which in
many cases is less than the NHS Prescription
Charge.
If the medication is going to cost a lot more
than this, then we will inform you and you
should be able to get your NHS GP to issue
it, although this will not be as quick as
getting it though e-med.
May
I claim on my travel insurance?
If
you become unwell when you are abroad and
need to access our services, some insurance
policies will cover the resulting e-med
charges.
Please check with your insurance company before
you go, as e-med
can recommend companies which will cover this.
We hope that these questions fully answer any
queries you may have but if there are any other
specific questions you have for e-med
call us on +44 (0) 20 7806 4028 or complete our Information request form.
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