Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. e-commerce
    • ex. E-commerce became more popular when the pandemic happened. More people began buying food, groceries, and clothes online.
  2. a consultation
    • ex. The kind doctor gives poor patients free consultations.
  3. around the clock
    • ex. You can call the emergency medical team at any time. They are ready to help around the clock.
  4. consult with
    • ex. Diane has been feeling weak. So, she consulted with a doctor.
  5. in-person
    • ex. The manager prefers in-person interviews to telephone interviews.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Amazon, an American e-commerce company, opened a virtual clinic last year. And now, they are adding video telemedicine consultations in all 50 states. The company is doing this to expand to the field of medical care. Amazon said that customers could use its virtual clinic around the clock through its website or mobile app. Customers can also check the prices and response times of the different video telemedicine doctors before choosing one.

When COVID-19 happened a few years ago, virtual care or telemedicine became popular. It remains to be popular as an easy way to consult with a doctor. According to Amazon, its clinic gives care and treatment for more than 30 common health conditions.

The average price for video visits is $75 (about ¥10,738) while the price for messaging-based consultations is $35 (about ¥5,011). This makes virtual clinics cheaper than in-person visits. In-person visits with a doctor can cost $100 (about ¥14,317) without insurance. Virtual visits also make it easy for people to find doctors. But some doctors are worried about telemedicine because monitoring patients’ health would be more difficult.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Virtual Clinics and In-person Visits

  • How long do you usually wait in line for an in-person doctor’s appointment? Discuss.
  • Do you think virtual clinics will remain popular? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, is it a good idea for patients with more serious health problems to do telemedicine appointments? Why or why not? Discuss.

Amazon and E-commerce

  • Amazon is an e-commerce company. Why do you think they opened a virtual clinic? Discuss.
  • In your country, what company is like Amazon? Discuss.
  • Why do you think e-commerce companies like Amazon are successful? Discuss.