Virtual Visit

So - this week I was working with Dr. Scott in the Pediatric clinic. I saw a little girl (age 5-10) with the general complaints that people have this year (runny nose/cough/congestion/feeling bad) and her father. The little girl was really good at answering most of my questions - but some had to be deferred to dad. I thought he was an interesting character in the fact that anytime I asked him a direct question, he would repeat my question. . .pause. . .then give me an answer - like this:

Me: So has she had any fever
Dad: Has she had any fever. . .pause. . .no - not really.
Me: Did she get her flu shot
Dad: Has she had her flu shot. . .pause. . .no.

I was thinking - maybe this guy is practicing his active listening - and while I'm glad to know that he has heard my questions to him & understands the answer required. . .this is getting a little annoying. Then the guy had to turn his head to cough - and I saw it. . ."it" was a little phone earpiece & I glanced down to his hands where his little Bluetooth enabled phone was genegerly sitting in his hands in the "talk" mode.

Me: (with my voice a little louder): Has she had trouble sleeping?
Dad: who doesn't repet me - but just pauses/listens and then proceeds to repeat whatever that little "voice in his head" (or I guess in his ear) says.

Someday I gonna be a working mom - so I was glad to see how this mom, who couldn't get away from work in the middle of the day, could still "be there" at the doctor's visit withouth actually "being there." Afterall, by the time I have kids, the doctors are going to be people from my generation - who - like me, won't think its that strange or neglectful to have a "virtual visit"