Are you tired of taking time off of work (that loses you money) to go to the doctor? So are millions of other people.
And doctors are catching onto that. That’s where the trend of telemedicine was born from – wanting to provide faster and more accessible medical care to consumers.
Want to know what is telemedicine and how it’s better? Read on.
What Is Telemedicine?
Are you old enough to remember the days of housecalls? Or maybe you just heard them mentioned once or twice in a book?
Telemedicine is like the modernized idea of a housecall. Instead of the doctor coming to your home, though, they come to your phone.
This isn’t a new practice. In years past, people have used telemedicine to connect patients with specialists that were too far away. This way doctors and the patient could communicate with each other when the patient was too weak or couldn’t afford to travel.
Now that we have the internet, though, you don’t have to have a very specific condition to access specialists. You can do so through your phone.
Telemedicine is the practice of connecting patients and doctors in real time, with the use of technology.
What are the Benefits?
Though we try to make it as pleasant as possible, we understand that going to the doctor is a hassle. You have to get time off work, pay a babysitter or lug your kids with you.
With telemedicine, those hassles don’t exist. Here are some of the assorted benefits.
Less wait time – your physician will call you at your appointment time, meaning you only have to be “at” the doctors (on your phone) for the exact consultation time. No check in or checkups to wait through.
No travel expenses – you no longer have to drive to the doctor’s office and worry about parking. Have your appointment from wherever you feel comfortable.
No childcare costs – you don’t have to worry about where your children will go during your appointment. They can simply be in their room playing with their toys or on their tablet during your appointment – safe and content at home.
No infectious disease exposure – this is a big one, especially for parents of young children. You no longer have to go to a waiting room populated by actively sick and contagious patients. You can stay un-exposed in your home or workplace.
Fewer missed appointment fees – Do you ever forget an appointment because life got in the way and have to swallow a fee or charge? It’s less likely to happen with telemedicine. There are fewer obstacles between you and your appointments.
Finding Your Telemedicine Provider
Not all health providers have jumped onto the telemedicine train yet. Some are still asking, what is telemedicine and why should I offer it?
That’s normal – it’s a growing field. If your current provider doesn’t offer this service, it may be time to switch.
Otherwise, ask your provider what their plans are, it may already be in the works!
