Telemedicine has been around for years, but hasn’t been widely used until recently. The explosion of new technology in the healthcare field combined with recent global events has proven telemedicine to be an effective alternative to in-house patient visits. If you’re wondering what telemedicine is, it can be described simply as a virtual office visit with your doctor. What that means is instead of meeting face-to-face, you can communicate with your doctor from two separate locations using video calls, pictures, emails, and text messages. Your doctor can evaluate, diagnose, and treat your symptoms virtually. While still somewhat foreign, this approach is becoming increasingly important in our current healthcare system.
According to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), there are over 200 telemedicine in the United States with over 3,500 service sites. Millions of patients around the world are using this unique telecommunication service to video chat with their doctor or monitor their vital signs from the comfort of their home.
Why Should You Consider Telemedicine?
Telemedicine has many direct benefits for the patient. Not only is it easy to use, telemedicine benefits include:
- Increase access to care – If you live in a small town where there are clinician shortages, telemedicine can help get you the care you need quickly without having to leave your home. If you require a specialist or have a rare condition, telemedicine makes it easier to find specialists that are available to you.
- Find the right doctor for you – Telemedicine uses honest reviews collected from patients across the country all conveniently stored in one place. No more spending hours sifting through Google and Yelp reviews looking for the best doctor in your area.
- Quickly see appointments – With telemedicine, you can quickly browse open appointments. If you’re a new patient, you can fill out a new patient application form fast and have them sent to your provider immediately.
- Easily find doctors who accept your insurance – Find in-network physicians who accept your insurance.
- Reduce time and costs – Sometimes, you might not have the time to see your doctor, or scheduling time off from work can be difficult. With telemedicine, you can consult with your doctor from the comfort of your home, eliminating the need to miss work or make the time to travel to your doctor’s office. Telemedicine is also beneficial if you have a quick question and don’t want to schedule a full appointment with your doctor.
- Take your medical records anywhere – Easily store your medical records online and have access to them anywhere at any time.
- Monitor your health – Using telemedicine can help you better monitor your health. With constant access to your medical records and being able to easily contact your physician, using telehealth services can help you become more engaged and aware of your health.
The safety and well-being of our patients, staff and community is of the utmost importance to us. That’s why AMS Cardiology makes telemedicine easy. In a time when in-house visits possible or remote delivery of healthcare services is necessary, having online medical resources at your disposal is extremely beneficial to your health. Our telemedicine services are here for you to keep you connected, virtually, when you need us most. If you have any questions about our telemedicine service and how it can help you, contact our heart health experts today at 215-517-1000.
