Telehealth is the modern-day fix for getting a quicker solution to all your health issues. Amidst an ongoing global pandemic, innovation like this makes life simpler and easier.
Let’s discuss all the nitties-gritties of Telehealth to see how it works best for you.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth lets you talk to your doctor live via the phone or video chat platforms, send and receive confidential messages to and from your doctor through emails, secure messaging, secure file exchange, and so forth so that your doctor is informed of your condition, all from the click of a button. Your doctor can change your medications accordingly and set routines for you to record your progress thoroughly.
The following requirements of patients are especially conveniently treated by Telehealth:
Online therapy and counseling sessions
Repetitive disorders like migraines or urinary tract infections
Common infections in children
Yoga and Meditation
Dietary changes
Management of endocrinology conditions
Skin irritations
Prescription advise and changes
Diseases like cough and cold, stomach aches, viral fevers, and so on
Post-surgical care and treatments
Any lab tests or x-ray results
Apart from these updates that you will be provided with, the doctor might need all the health information from your side, which includes weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, images of any wound or eye/skin conditions, records of your symptoms, previous medical documents that you might have regarding your health and so on. All these can be communicated online through clear and private communication, that is, the telehealth process.
How does it help you?
Telehealth has become the most convenient and safe medical check-ups and guidance option.
It can save you the time, effort, and risk involved in in-person visits.
You can get the necessary information about your health issues and treatments like medications, any diet enhancement, rehabilitation practices, etc., from wherever you are.
Virtual visits to your doctor can reduce travel time and keep you safe at home, necessary for the present situation.
You can access specialists distant from your locality without even traveling that distance, which would otherwise be impossible.
Telehealth also cuts down on appointment waiting times.
How does it work?
Technology allows you to schedule your telehealth appointments both via video and audio communications. For video chats, any regular platform can be used, for example, Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype, etc. Although Telehealth is a secure way for virtual medical visits, some apps may raise privacy concerns. Therefore, choosing a provider to safeguard your medical information is necessary as done in offline centers. You can look up your providers' safety procedures and confidentiality tools ahead of time to avoid any misunderstandings in the future.
Telehealth can also be possible for those without a steady internet connection and unavailability of video conferencing techniques. A simple phone call may suffice your wellness needs, including annual check-up visits, diabetes management, mental health counseling and therapy, nutrition counseling and diet setting, advance care planning, and so forth. These do not require any video communication between the doctor and the patient whatsoever.
Scheduling an appointment with your provider requires just a telephonic conversation with their office. If you are new to their services, make sure you ask the following questions before fixing the virtual appointment:
Whether they offer telehealth visits or not
Explain to them your disease and situation and ask whether telehealth visits will be enough for your healing
On which platform or app should the telehealth visits be scheduled or which software to opt for
Lastly, always ask them about their privacy policies and how they would secure your personal health information
Telehealth may seem like an alien concept when it comes to payment methods. While in a reputed hospital or nursing home, your health check-up and treatments can be covered by insurance.
Feel equipped enough to make an informed decision about Telehealth? Remember to always put your health first. Telehealth is a quicker and simpler way for you to achieve good health.
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