Telehealth visits have been offered by some doctors for a while, mostly because of its convenience. People could use telehealth to communicate with their doctor if traveling to a doctor’s office was too difficult or inconvenient. However, because of COVID-19 and a desire to prevent the spread of germs, telehealth visits have become an important tool for doctors and patients.
Why is Telehealth important?
During this time, Telehealth is important for several reasons.
- It keeps people away from crowded waiting rooms. For minor symptoms and concerns, a patient can speak to their doctor virtually, preventing them from having to visit an office in-person and risk exposure to germs.
- It can help doctors decide who should go to the hospital. Some people who become infected with COVID-19 will experience only minor symptoms and can be cared for at home. If a patient is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, a doctor can assess those symptoms virtually using telemedicine and decide whether the patient needs to seek medical care at a hospital.
- Doctors can still prescribe medication virtually if needed. If a doctor determines you need an antibiotic or other medication after evaluating your symptoms at a telehealth visit, he or she can write a prescription as normal and have it sent to your local pharmacy.
How should I prepare?
Preparing for a telehealth visit is much like preparing for a regular doctor’s office visit. It is important to be efficient, while also addressing your concerns and ensuring that your questions are answered. Here are some things you can do to get ready for your telehealth call.
- Find out what telehealth options your insurance covers.Many health insurance plans provide telehealth services. There are also several companies that provide telehealth services for a fixed fee. If you aren’t sure where to find services, ask your doctor for recommendations.
- Write down symptoms. Write down any concerns you have and each symptom you are experiencing. This will help ensure that you give the doctor all of the information needed to make a diagnosis.
- Write down any questions. It is easy to forget what you wanted to ask the doctor, and sometimes we don’t remember until the visit is over. Writing questions down ahead of time will ensure that each question is addressed.
- Know the purpose for your call, and stick to it. While it is important that you get all of your questions answered, try to remember that just like with any other doctor’s visit, there are other patients waiting. Try not to veer off the original purpose of your visit with extra unrelated questions to make the best use of your, and the doctor’s, time on the call.
Crisp Regional is proud to offer quality telehealth services to its patients. You can make a telemedicine appointment and even convert an already existing in-person appointment to a telemedicine visit. We are here to keep you safe and healthy in the midst of these uncertain times.