One man in five dies before the age of 65.
TOGETHER we can change that.

When an app may be better than a GP

29/06/18 . Blog

A tech firm claims that its algorithm gives its health app the same level of clinical knowledge as a GP. Or better.

Following much excitement in the press, the Royal College of GPs points out that 'No app or algorithm will be able to do what a GP does'. And we wouldn't argue with that. But I would suggest that using an app could overcome two of the main barriers to seeking health care.

Breaking down barriers

Barrier one is that one of the things that real live human GPs can do is deter their patients from speaking to them. GPs acknowledge that themselves when they talk of the so-called 'hand on the door moment' when a patient reveals the real reason for their visit just as they're about to leave.

It's not the GPs' fault - rare today is the high-handed, insensitive attitude of some medics past - but the reason's not hard to figure out. GPs are all busy. Very busy. They're all educated and smart. They're doing better in life (whatever than means) than most of us. Such people can be difficult to talk to honestly - perhaps for men, particularly. After all, it's not easy to reveal ignorance or weakness at the best of times. And a seven minute GP appointment is never that.

Save time, money and embarrassment

Wouldn't a lot of people prefer that their first contact was with a non-human? Might it not be easier to tell an app about your bleeding stools or erection problems or five-times-a-night urination habit? These initial app 'consultations' could then be picked up by health professionals who would invite those who needed to see a real person to come in. Being invited like this would overcome a second barrier to seeking health care: fear of wasting the GP's time.

Yes, I'm sure there would be teething troubles - hopefully not as bad as in Channel 4's hit series Humans in which some non-humans turn terrorist - but it could be that using apps as a first port-of-call, a form of triage, could revolutionise access to health care, saving embarassment, time and money.

Actually, this is pretty much what the Forum where trying to do with Man MOT, a service we can sadly no longer fund.

Jim Pollard, site editor

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It’s tough for men to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things generally only get worse. So we’re asking.

In the UK, one man in five dies before the age of 65. If we had health policies and services that better reflected the needs of the whole population, it might not be like that. But it is. Policies and services and indeed men have been like this for a long time and they don’t change overnight just because we want them to.

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