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Video Visit with Oncology Doctor
Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Jun 2 11:39am | Replies (12)Comment receiving replies
@ashley2235
Hi Ashley, it’s my understanding that doctors cannot consult across state lines with video consults unless licensed in the state. I’m also in Georgia.
Are you not finding that to be true?
Replies to "@ashley2235 Hi Ashley, it’s my understanding that doctors cannot consult across state lines with video consults..."
I'm also in Georgia & my first oncology visit was a Zoom conference with a Florida Mayo doctor.
When I asked my prognosis, I was told 2-4 months without treatment; 11 months with treatment. Saw my Georgia oncologist 2 days later & I was a wreck. My husband & I were still in shock! Thank God it will be 2 years in June since that prognosis. I did email my Zoom doctor to tell him I had survived the first year! May do it again as I am approaching our "2nd anniversary".
I did tell him he should defer & say that a lot depends on you & how you tolerate your treatments. I do not know if he was licensed in Georgia.
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@gamaryanne I think that would be a state-based limitation, probably on the patient end (state in which care is being received).
I have quarterly video appointments from Florida with a Texas provider; no license issues have cropped up, but they do insist on seeing me in-person at least once per year in Texas.
The video appointments with the oncologist in general are good, but you typically don't get the "pre-visit" with a PA/NP or Fellow beforehand. Sometimes that offers an opportunity to unload more or have them prepare or investigate questions before the oncologist enters the room.
Video lag, audio drop-outs, and sometimes foreign accents can add difficulty to a video appointment, especially if the remote doctor is wearing a mask. Body language and lip-reading can help prevent dropping important information, but not always enough to be worth an in-person trip.
If it's your first visit to a new doctor, I recommend doing it in person. If you have a good, ongoing relationship and none of the issues above, video is fine.
Travel to Texas always costs me at least two days off work, but if they're doing additional tests or scans, I generally find it worthwhile.
Traveling at least once is also a good way to find out how practical more frequent travel for a clinical trial to another state would be. I visited one center of excellence that was just a 90-minute flight from home, but the only affordable airfare there was on an airline so horrible it ruled that center out.