Virtual Doctors

[Bateluer]

So I was reading this article at AZCentral about how virtual doctor visits will become more common in Arizona. Apparently, they are already doing this in Hawaii. Instead of driving to the doctor, you schedule an appointment to speak with your doctor over the Internet, using a webcam and microphone.

I'm not sure how successful this would be though. I think there are a lot of illnesses and health issues that require a physical examination to diagnose properly. There's a lot of danger in self diagnosis.

Here's my idea though. I'm going to start the next generation of Internet scam. See, I create a program, similar to the AntiVirus 2009 malware, that installs itself on the victim's PC. This program will generate 'health' alerts, warning the user that they may be seriously ill and that they need to pay 49.99 to upgrade to the full version for full diagnostic features.

"Warning! Virtual Doctor 2009 has detected that you may have Leprosy! Only 49.99 for full treatment options."

 

[jagec]

The real concern isn't so much misdiagnosis (if the doctor is uncertain, they'll just say "you need to come in") as the amount of technical support that will be necessary to get the webcam systems working in the first place. Remember, people can't even figure out the self-checkout line in the supermarket...

 

[SirChadwick]

Ah yes the virus kicks are strong right now. If I have to remove one more frickin Antivirus 2009 infection on a home computer then I'm going to end myself.

Virtual Doctor.... what a joke.