With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical practices were forced to rethink how they provide their medical care. With restrictions on social convening, physical distancing, and unnecessary interactions, doctor’s visits became one of those many everyday errands that had to be altered to fit health and safety guidelines. Plus, with doctor’s offices and hospitals being a place where infected or exposed people were going to be checked out, it became very apparent something else had to be done to ensure regular appointments and checkups could still be attended. Telemedicine became a great solution to this problem.
Telemedicine is a virtual visit in which you and your doctor are connected via a video conference call. These visits allow for patient and provider to still have face-to-face interaction while still adhering to social distancing guidelines. Now that the pandemic has begun to wane and office buildings are beginning to reopen to regular patients, does telemedicine still have a place in day-to-day medical care? Yes, it does.
Telemedicine has been around long before the pandemic brought it into the forefront of our worlds. Though, it was not used nearly to the extent that it is now. At the beginning of the pandemic, with a majority of non-life threatening surgeries and procedures postponed, a good portion of all medical visits were happening via a telehealth platform. Now that more and more people have been exposed to the convenience of virtual visits, it’s easy to imagine a world where virtual medicine is seen as a completely acceptable alternative to going in-office for certain medical appointments.
Plus, families that travel often or have to unexpectedly leave town are still able to keep their appointments. This saves both patients and their providers time by avoiding last-minute cancellations or no-shows. Patients can attend their appointment from anywhere in the world, as long as they have access to a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Appointments with Telemedicine
Not all doctor appointments are created alike. There are still some instances where a doctor would prefer to see and examine a patient in-person rather than through a screen. However, in instances such as a medication refill, certain dermatology appointments, or a behavioral health appointment, a telehealth appointment would work just as well as an in-person appointment. Plus, it saves the patient (or their family) the trouble to drive all the way to the doctor’s office, sign-in, and wait in the lobby for an indeciduate amount of time. For parents of big families, telemedicine can be a major help. Instead of having to lug their child and the child’s younger siblings along, patients can speak to their provider directly from the comfort of their own home.
Telemedicine can also be a great option if you need to speak to your physician about an urgent medical matter after regular business hours. This way, both you and your provider are able to interact without leaving home, which can be very helpful for providers to keep their work-life balance together. While not all medical practices offer this specific service, most all Chicagoland Pediatricians offer telehealth appointments of some kind.
So, is telemedicine right for your family? The answer is, most likely yes! Depending on your family’s health care needs and the expanding capabilities of telemedicine, there is no better time to try a virtual visit and see if it is a good fit for your family and your lifestyle. Your family will need at least one device with the capability to stream video content. This can be a bit difficult for families living on a budget or sharing one device among many family members. Speak to your physician or the best pediatrician about your telehealth options and if it is the right fit for your family’s needs. No matter what, your provider will want to ensure your family gets all the medical care and attention they need.
