Liebhard, Wayne D. WALKING THE TIGHTROPE– TRUSTING YOUR LIFE TO TELEMEDICINE (LESSONS FROM EARLY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC) Alethos Press – Woodbury MN Alethos Press, Woodbury MN – https://alethospress.com Walking the Tightrope–Trusting Your Life to Telemedicine ISBN:978-0-9863773-9-6 Print: Digital: 979-8-9863314-0-9. Copyright 2022 Printed in the U.S. by Bethany Press. Cover Design by Sammi Griffin Art https://wayneliebhard.com/ First Printing Wayne Liebhard,
Reviews:
“We are living in a world where, for many, convenience seems to trump reasoning when it comes to choosing medical care. Patients demand it, and corporate medical America is happy to supply it – hastened by the government-sponsored expansion of telemedicine. “Dr. Wayne Liebhard’s new book Walking The Tightrope – Trusting Your Life To Telemedicine is a stark wake-up call to those who believe that their doctors may still be in a position to regulate the safety of telemedicine for acute care. “This book is a must-read for all consumers of medical care, as the inside information it provides on how we got here – and how we can use that information to forge a safer future – is invaluable.” — David Durenberger, Former United States Senator and Director of National Institute of Health Policy
“Walking The Tightrope carefully examines the pressures that doctors face as they strive to provide safe and appropriate health care. It also examines how the practice of medicine arrived at this place where third parties decide what is best for a patient instead of the physician and patient working together. Dr. Liebhard offers a way to use this knowledge to chart a safe path forward. “We live in a time when many Americans tend to believe that any good or service they choose to consume has been rigorously tested for safety. Patients also believe their physicians are free to make independent decisions about the best and most appropriate medical care in each instance. Are either of these assumptions true?” – Dave Racer, MLitt Publisher, writer and author of 21 books about health care
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, physicians and patients switched to doing virtual telemedicine visits rather than in-person clinical appointments. Telemedicine can be a good thing for improving patient access to medical professionals. But there are important caveats, as Dr. Liebhard explains. “In today’s corporate medical culture, physicians are directed by their employers as a business decision to provide virtual visits. But virtual visits are clearly not the same as in-person medical consultations. Liebhard gets to the point: “Who wouldn’t trust a large medical conglomerate that owns hospitals and all sorts of shiny new multiple story buildings when they advertise their telemedicine services with the following: ‘get the same great care as with an office visit?’” “This question leads to Dr. Liebhard’s tour de force argument for earning and maintaining trusted and trusting doctor-patient relationships. Today the doctor Wayne Liebhard, MD x is usually employed by a mega hospital-clinic organization. But Liebhard says: “A physician should never allow herself or himself to work for the corporation. Physicians should always work for their patients.” “The good news: Patients can actively query their doctors about who they are working for. After all, they are trained to serve patients and do no harm, and that’s why they became physicians. The book includes an illuminating interview with internist Dr. Donald Gehrig who describes a successful and fulfilling direct pay primary care practice, and a history of how corporate medicine was spawned in Minnesota. “I highly recommend this book.” — Lee Beecher, M.D. (Em). Dr. Beecher is the co-author of Passion for Patients, (2021) Alethos Press.