Doctor’s visits have changed immensely from the days when doctors made house calls. Most residents of Western Pennsylvania are used to driving to a doctor's office or medical complex when they need medical assistance. Once there, it is now not uncommon for electronic devices to be used in the course of the visit. This trend is expected to continue in years to come.

In fact, the technologies currently being used by many physicians could eventually make it possible for a physician to accurately provide a diagnosis without even being in the same room as the patient. In some locations throughout the nation this is already a reality with "office visits" being done via commonly used technologies such as email, Skype, text and FaceTime. Known as telemedicine, individuals working in the field estimate that it will take at least a decade before the practice moves much beyond where it currently is.

As this trend develops, it is important that safety precautions be created. The growth will likely signal an increase in the number of medical malpractice lawsuits associated with the practice. Because of the dynamics of such cases that have yet to be worked through, such as how a technology failure would impact a physician's liability, these cases will likely be complex for some time.

In the meantime, individuals working in the professional liability industry are trying to determine what medical malpractice insurance policies for telemedicine practitioners will look like compared to physicians who only see their patients face-to-face. There is certainly more to come on this subject.

Source: USA Today, "Virtual health care gaining ground," Carol Gorga Williams, May 6, 2013