Did you recently find out about telehealth services? Are you interested in learning about what they are, and how they work?
Well, you’re in the right place. In essence, telemedicine is a term that covers all of how your doctor and you communicate remotely.
In this article, we will cover this with a bit greater depth. So that you can make an educated decision upon making use of telehealth in your near future.
Whenever you’re ready to get acquainted with this topic, keep reading.
What Are Telehealth Services?
Telehealth services are all remote services provided for medicine, health, and nutrition. Usually, the term refers to methods of communication between a patient and a specialist. But that’s a rather limited way of looking at things.
Telehealth consists of emails, video chats, text messages, and much more. It’s also referred to as digital medicine, telehealth, m-health (mobile health), and e-health.
If your doctor offers telehealth, all you have to have is a reliable internet connection and an access device, such as a computer, phone, or smartphone.
Telemedicine is convenient for all parties involved, especially if you have limited time, mobility, or transportation. But also, if you need medical care while not at home or live far from your doctor’s office/in a rural area.
Telehealth is often limited by location because some states have mandated regulations on how telemedicine can be executed. This means that you might not be able to achieve the full scope of medical assistance over the internet or phone because of the legislation and health acts.
For instance, it might be restricted to share personal lab results over the phone because of the security risks involved. Discover more for a greater understanding of telehealth.
How Does It Work?
Depending on what your special offers, you can get medical help in a variety of ways.
First, you can get access via a patient portal. With secured passwords and usernames, a portal allows you to communicate with a nurse or doctor, set up appointments, and ask for refills on your prescription.
Your doctor can also share imaging or lab results and explain what they mean. This is much faster than waiting to speak over the phone or in person.
Second, you can set up virtual appointments. Some doctors will allow you to hold an appointment via a video conference or phone call. You can have these meetings with behavioral or mental health professionals, as well as urgent care clinics.
But that’s only part of what can be achieved with telehealth. The list goes on and on.
Telehealth Done Right
Now that you know what telehealth services are, and how they work, you can finally rest easy knowing that you are no longer confused about the topic. You can try to speak to your current doctor and see if they offer telehealth, and if they don’t, why not propose them to try it out?
If you’re interested in learning more about the world of health, check out some of our other articles on the sidebar.
