• Ruth Kannai and AlonAya RiceARDepartment of Counseling and Human Development, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel..
• Department of Family Medicine, The Haim Doron Division of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel rkannai@gmail.com.
• Ann Fam Med. 2024 Jan 1; 22 (1): 636463-64.

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic led to the widespread and continuing use of telemedicine in primary care. Despite telemedicine's benefits, it threatens to reduce the role of family physician to that of gatekeeper and case manager, nullifying decades of experience and medical intuition that is more difficult to develop and apply virtually. Additionally, many values of family medicine have eroded during this global process. The narrative presents 3 vignettes that illustrate different ways in which we contend with this complex issue. The challenges presented by telemedicine require us to re-examine our professional and personal values such as maintaining the centrality of the therapeutic relationship with patients. The greatest concern, however, relates to the future of the profession and the ability of new family doctors to overcome the challenges of telemedicine in an increasingly digital world.© 2024 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

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