Telemedicine is a word that has entered the health care vocabulary fairly recently, but it is one that has become extremely important. This is especially true with the rise of COVID, where we have become acutely aware of the need to maintain social distance as much as possible. But even beyond COVID, telemedicine is here to stay. It is truly the wave of the future of health care.
What Is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the process of receiving medical care remotely, usually through a video chat with a doctor, nurse practitioner or other health care provider. Through the use of cameras, pictures, medical records, and skilled questioning on the part of the provider, we can help you treat many health conditions at home.
What Are the Benefits?
There are many benefits to telemedicine. During a period like the COVID-19 pandemic, one benefit that is easy to see is that it limits your contact with other people who may be infectious. It also helps prevent you from getting others sick if you are infectious. But issues of transmitting disease aside, there are other benefits to telemedicine. If you are feeling sick, often the best place for you is at home resting, not traveling to a doctor’s office. If you are differently abled, traveling to a doctor’s office may create challenges that you can avoid with a telemedicine consult. A telemedicine visit can provide faster relief than scheduling and then traveling to a doctor’s office. If you can be helped by telemedicine, it is often beneficial to try a virtual consult first.
What Conditions Does Telemedicine Treat?
Conditions where we can assist you with professional medical advice via a telemedicine virtual consult include:
- Abdominal pain
- Allergies
- Cough and cold
- Diarrhea
- Ear pain w/ fever
- Fever
- Mild anxiety – not needing a controlled med
- Mild back pain
- Nausea/vomiting
- Pink eye
- Rashes
- Sinus infection
- Skin infections
- Sore throat
- Yeast infections
We can offer suggestions for immediate relief, write prescriptions, and make recommendations for further care, which may or may not include an in-person doctor’s visit.
Of course, not all medical conditions are suitable for telemedicine. You should schedule an in-person doctor’s visit for conditions such as:
- Asthma exacerbation
- Blood in urine or stool
- Dizziness
- Ear pain
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Suture removal and other procedures
- Urinary tract infections
- And other conditions that may require direct intervention by a medical professional.
How to Get Telemedicine Care
Setting up a telemedicine consultation with Be Well Immediate Care is easy. Start by calling our office to schedule a time for your consultation. We will collect some important demographic information from you and set up your online account. Then download the Healow app to your smartphone from the iOS or Android store or access patientportal.montesmedical.com from a laptop or desktop computer, and login with the credentials provided by our staff. Once logged in you’ll see an option to connect to your medical care provider at your scheduled appointment time.
Using the Healow App
With an online account through the Patient Portal and Healow app, you can perform a wide variety of actions related to your health care, including view medical records, pay bills, request prescription refills, and of course, make telemedicine appointments. If you need assistance with any part of this process, or if you are not sure if your condition is appropriate for telemedicine do not hesitate to call us at 562-696-1655. We look forward to helping you with all your health needs!