The doctor will see you now...on Skype!

"So many of the cues to a patient’s health are non-verbal," says Dr Sirfraz Hussain, who is a partner at Moss Side Family Practice in Manchester.

"So much can be conveyed by body language and behaviour and these details often paint a fuller picture of how a patient is feeling. For example, many older patients are from a traditionally stoic generation and will often tell you that they ‘feel fine’. However, when you can actually see how they are moving and reacting it’s often clear that they could be in a pain and need some help".

For Dr Hussain this is the key advantage to using Skype, which his practice introduced a year ago, over traditional phone calls.

"It allows us to give added value and helps us triage patients. We can spot things on Skpe which may not be apparent in a conversation alone, and ask a patient to come into the surgery when necessary."

The practice, which is in the heart of Moss Side, has a diverse, multi-cultural patient base – and many of the patients are used to using Skype to keep in touch with family or loved ones overseas.

"Our patients have been really receptive to it," he says. "They know we are offering video calls as an additional service – it is not intended to replace face-to-face appointments, which are the gold standard.

"But, for those patients who would find it difficult to come into the surgery it can be a huge comfort. Take carers who are looking after a dementia patient; or a parent of a child with autism – actually getting into the surgery can be incredibly difficult and sitting in the waiting room can be hard.

"This is where Skype is really valuable. It means that we can keep in touch and see what’s going on in the patient’s normal, day-to-day setting."

On average, Dr Hussain will have around three video calls a week with patients. For those patients who have never used Skype before, but do have the facility on their home computer, he will also talk them through how to use it.

"Last week I had a Skype conversation with a patient who has multiple sclerosis. She was delighted to be able to see me this way because travelling is difficult," he says enthusiastically. "She was so pleased – and even more so when I pointed out that it was free and meant that she could Skype her son, who lives down south. It was like she had found a winning Lottery ticket."

This unintended - though very welcome - social consequence of using Skype at the practice is one that Dr Hussain is keen to acknowledge.

"Technology like this is can be a powerful tool in helping to reduce loneliness and associated depression. If we can show someone how to use it, their social circle is widened and they can be part of life which they may have been previously excluded from. They can join church groups, self-help groups – they could even petition the Prime Minister through Skype if they wanted."

The wider care benefits that video calls could have for hard-to-reach patients are also an area that he’s exploring.

"We have around a hundred patients who are over 75 years old and many of them only come into the surgery once or twice a year.

"I don’t feel like we should be waiting for them to contact us just when there is an urgent need. We could be proactive in using video calls to keep in touch and spot any potential problems before they happen. This would greatly improve our patients’ quality of life and it would also reduce the chance of hospital admissions."

And Dr Hussain also takes a virtual dose of his own medicine by using Skype to talk to colleagues within his practice.

"It really helps with teamwork when we can talk to each other like this quickly, rather than going from room to room. Again, it’s about adding value. I can ask a colleague for their opinion and see the reaction and feedback, which helps me. I can also do this while I’m doing my paperwork, so it helps to save time too."

Looking to the future Dr Hussain is keen to embrace other new ways of working which will improve communications between doctors and their patients.

"As a doctor I feel like I’m in a very privileged position. Patients confide in me and tell me things they would not even mention to their families. As doctors we are able to make a difference in another human being’s life and we need to investigate at all the options that help with that.

"Just look at how technology has moved on in the last three years – and how we are now almost on the iPhone 6. We need to be part of that momentum and be ready for when TVs or phones have inbuilt video call access, so that we can make the most of it.

"There’s an old business mantra about how success is made up a series of little wins. Skype, for us, has been one of those little wins and made us more dynamic and motivated to think about new ways of giving the best service to our patients. And in turn, our patients are always the voice that guides us – we just need to listen to what works best for them."