Serial Medical Appointments: An Inevitability in Search of a Solution

Abstract

The importance of fair and dignified access to healthcare is unquestionable. Patient rights and autonomy, a central pillar of medical ethics, allow for free choice between public and private healthcare services. However, this autonomy brings challenges, particularly in balancing the user's freedom of choice with the need to maintain coherence in healthcare. The issue of multipathology and the complexity of patients often treated in various specialties and institutions dilutes the traditional role of the family physician. The modernization of healthcare services has provided users with greater flexibility and convenience, allowing them to choose more convenient appointment times and faster access to consultations. However, this results in logistical challenges, such as effective coordination between different healthcare institutions, essential for maintaining the quality and continuity of care. The use of multiple services can lead to unnecessary repetition of tests, overload on healthcare services, and risks to the doctor-patient relationship.
Furthermore, the digitization of user clinical processes and the rapid evolution of medical technology have significantly contributed to the coherence of care provided to users, bringing challenges such as the lack of integration between information systems from different healthcare institutions.
The article concludes that despite users having easier access to various institutions and clinical services, and the modernization and digitization of healthcare systems facilitating clinical information, there are multiple difficulties related to the effectiveness and coordination of all these tools that lead to a lack of confidence in the entire user treatment process.