The Advantages of Internet Healthcare Providers

Internet health care providers allow patients to seek medical consultation without the need to visit a doctor in-person, usually through video conferencing or online chat on a computer. Online health care is not a complete substitute to one-on-one medical treatment, but does provide a number of advantages to the patient over visiting the doctor's office.

Convenience

• Hectic work schedules can make scheduling a doctor's visit difficult.

  Internet health care providers are more convenient than their offline counterparts because patients can consult with them wherever there is a computer and Internet connection. A flu patient can receive advice on treating symptoms from bed using a laptop and WiFi. Instead of taking the afternoon off to visit the doctor's office, a busy stock broker might be able to consult with a physician online during a lunch break.

  Users of Internet health care also don't have to deal with the hassle of waiting in a physician's office. This encourages people to seek medical guidance more often.

Better Access to Treatment

• Rural residents have less access to health care than those in urban areas.

  Individuals in remote areas generally do not have access to the same health care options as those in more populated areas. Online health care practitioners give people in far-flung parts of the country access to medical advice and treatment options that otherwise might not be available, especially access to specialists.

  Iowa has a had a system in place since 2008 in which women can take the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol at rural clinics in conjunction with Internet consultation. Without Internet health care, these women would not have been able to access this treatment.

  Because online doctors are not limited by geographical borders, they also allow frequent travelers the ability to consult with the same doctor everywhere they go.

Cost

• Internet health care patients do not have to worry about the cost of transportation.

  Although fees vary from service to service, online health care providers are often less expensive than a traditional doctor's visit. This incentive could encourage people to see the doctor more often.

  Unlike traditional health care providers, no transportation is necessary for online medical consultations. Depending on how far away you live from the doctor and how often you visit, switching to an Internet health care provider could save a substantial amount of money.