At one point in history, doctors made house calls, seeing patients at their own houses instead of the patient coming to the doctor’s office. Now, house calls are back but doctors are able to use technology in order to treat more patients with more convenience.
Technology is constantly evolving, but it wasn’t technology that forced telemedicine. When the COVID-19 pandemic started wreaking havoc all over the world in 2020, it changed the way every industry does business, especially the healthcare industry. Virtual care appointments are now the norm and they could become the standard for healthcare visits.
Virtual care allows a patient to get care from the comfort of their home
Virtual care appointments are scheduled medical appointments that take place from the comfort of the patient’s home or office. All the patient needs is a cell phone or tablet and a computer with an internet connection. Doctors can communicate with patients via secure, live video conferencing streams, allowing a patient to stay home and avoid social-distancing guidelines and mask-wearing in the doctor’s office.
If you need in-home health care, check out our home health care options.
This type of medicine is perfect for immunocompromised patients, and there is zero equipment that needs to be purchased for online visits.
Physicians and patients interact like they are in an office
Telemedicine is no different than an actual physical visit in the doctor’s office. When the conferencing connection is made, the patient is able to tell the doctor their symptoms, and the doctor is able to ask questions to find out more about the patient’s illness or injury.
The only thing the doctor cannot do is physically examine the patient.
Your smart phones can easily handle virtual care appointments
What makes virtual care even easier is that a patient’s cell phone can handle the appointments, and the patient can be out running errands or on their break at work.
A cell phone is a great way for telemedicine because most people always have their phones on them but they aren’t always near a desktop or laptop computer.
Most patients who need a physically examination need to be seen in person
Most doctors that need to perform a physical examination will need to see the patient in person, and virtual care might be an option at that time.
If your needs can’t be met through a virtual visit, most doctors will see you in person. Any type of screening or physical examination must be done in person, allowing the doctor to have more information about your illness.
The best thing about a virtual visit is the convenience
The best thing about telemedicine is the convenience, and it is a tremendous option for older adults, patients that have children, or new mothers. As we’ve stated, not all care can be done virtually, and if a doctor can’t make a diagnosis over the phone, they will schedule an in-person visit.
However, right now, virtual care is exploding, making doctor’s visits easier for both the doctor and the patient.
