Concerns Raised About 'Telemedicine' Approach To Erectile Dysfunction, Australia

Main Category: Erectile Dysfunction / Premature Ejaculation
Article Date: 03 Sep 2009 - 8:00 PDT

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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has voiced concerns about the prescribing practices of erectile dysfunction clinics currently under review by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing, Roundtable on Impotency Treatments.

"Of the greatest concern is the use of telemedicine to treat erectile dysfunction," said Dr Chris Mitchell, RACGP President and GP in Northern NSW . "The danger is that a condition will be treated in isolation without due regard to other physical and emotional factors, which might be affecting a patient".

"General practitioners provide whole person, comprehensive and coordinated care and often have an established relationship with their patients," said Dr Mitchell. "This allows the GP to explore a range of interventions, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical, as part of the continuing care of a patient."

"GPs should be the first point of contact in the health care system and are well placed to deal with erectile dysfunction," Dr Mitchell said. "The RACGP supports the House of Representatives review of the frameworks in place that allow such erectile dysfunction clinics to operate. It is of utmost import that health services are delivered in the context of continuous, safety and high quality care."

"In general terms, impotency clinics routinely prescribe compound medications in the first instance. However, these medications have been demonstrated to be less clinically effective and more expensive than first line industry recommended treatments. These may have adverse impacts on men's health and wellbeing," said Dr Nathan Pinskier, who represented the RACGP at the roundtable discussion.

The RACGP believes that patients should be given the option of exploring evidence based, clinically proven treatments; something not offered by impotency clinics, Dr Pinskier said.

"Telemedicine is not necessarily the solution to a problem such as erectile dysfunction, which many men find embarrassing and difficult to discuss. Patients need to be reassured that their confidentiality is assured when they visit a general practitioner, no matter where and in what sort of community they live," said Dr Pinskier.

Source
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners