Jennifer Y. C. Edgoose, MD, MPH
Corresponding Author: Jennifer Y. C. Edgoose, MD, MPH; University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Email: jennifer.edgoose@fammed.wisc.edu
Section: Reflections in Family Medicine
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The patient-doctor relationship lies at the heart of medicine. Confronted with the challenges of COVID-19, we find ourselves unable to provide care and comfort in the same physical space as our patients. As we are forced to reckon with telemedicine visits, and contemplate continuing them in a post-pandemic future, it is important to understand the difference relationally between telemedicine and face-to-face encounters. I will argue that face-to-face visits remain essential in establishing the most fundamentally human components of relationships: responsibility and vulnerability. This established bond assures fidelity in subsequent encounters, whether by phone, video or in person.