How Telemedicine Can Make It Easier to Take Care of Your Family

And as the technology gets bigger and more advanced, the world becomes more of a world of connections. Those days when we would have to use mail and the telegraph to communicate with others over some vast distance are no longer among us; you can now push a button and be in a face-to-face conversation with your friend over FaceTime.

In fact, we now have such a situation where you can order virtual doctor appointments for your children so care is always reachable.

While telemedicine is changing the way our health care system is run-and it can be intimidating to use online health care services if you are not a tech-whiz don’t worry; if you are skeptical about telemedicine or just want to know more about how it can make a difference in your life and your family’s life, we have taken out all the jargon and confusion to give you a step-by-step guide about how telemedicine works, below.

Telemedicine: The Basics

In short, telemedicine means health communication enabled through technology. Sometimes, telemedicine even implies online, RHM and online portals of patients.

Telehealth appointments are very convenient for you particularly if you are busy. As a result, it’s pretty much difficult to schedule healthcare appointments for your kids.

The Benefits of Telemedicine

Telemedicine makes health care accessible for families. It can be a lifesaver when it becomes increasingly hard to find time for visits between taking the kids to school and going to work.

You may also save money by taking advantage of some of the telemedicine options. Insurance companies often have remote resources where you are able to chat with doctors at no cost or for an affordable fee.

Telemedicine health monitoring further reaches out to patients with chronic medical conditions. During this process, it helps to create necessary data that facilitates the recovery of the patient. If telemedicine did not exist, then patients would have to spend much more time in a real setting, and hence, it would be inconvenient. To help keep these online appointment sessions smooth and to ensure data protection from any unauthorised access in telehealth video chat conferencing, HIPAA compliant systems are critical for the protection of the patient’s sensitive data.

Online patient portals also let parents and kids quickly view important health information. They can usually view their health plans, test results, and upcoming appointments from the patient portal.

Does Insurance Cover Telemedicine?

insurance providers often include forms of telemedicine, however this varies depending on your provider and plan. Call your insurance representative and ask if you are unsure whether or not your insurance covers telemedicine.

Some insurance companies provide their own chat services and hotlines so you can access healthcare professionals instantly. This is helpful when you are worried about a simple matter like a sore throat or congestion.

Preparing for a Virtual Appointment

If this is your first virtual health service, then you may have to get accustomed to it. Fortunately, the process is not very complicated.

Actually, virtual appointments are very much similar to the regular ones-in-person appointments-with just a little difference here and there. To help guide you on the steps for your first virtual appointment, see steps below.

1. Prepare Relevant Documents

Similar to an in-person appointment, it’s necessary that you prepare anything related to your medical condition. All these documents will serve as a guide for your doctor on diagnosing you correctly and even help him or her hasten up the process of the appointment.

If you’re not sure what to bring for you or your child, you may want to call ahead to the office of your healthcare provider to ask. Many of these include having a copy of your insurance card, bringing any vaccination records, and your social security number.

2. Examine Your Technology

You would hate to experience some form of technical hitch when it is the time for your virtual appointment. Such hitches would result in delaying your whole or even rescheduling your appointment in extreme cases.

To ensure your consultation goes smoothly, just get comfortable with your technology and double-check that everything is ready to go. If you’re being seen through an app, login a day ahead of time so this can’t catch you off guard during your consultation. You will also want to test your internet connection to be sure you’re able to use your microphone and camera.

If you are not exactly a technological whiz, do not worry. Just ask a friend or other family member to help you out (your children may be pretty good at this, also). And if all else fails, just go to the appointment and show up demanding that your doctor lend you some technical expertise.

Telemedicine clinicians are often used to working with technical issues and can help you navigate any troubleshooting as well.

3. Organize Your Meeting Space

Ideally, at the time of your appointment, you want your space to be distraction-free. If you are scheduling an appointment for one of your children, keep the other family members informed that they will have to give their space and some peace for a while to their child.

Then you have to think about the space for the appointment. There may be parts of the body that the doctor would need to see on the call, which requires a well-lit, private space. Configure your equipment in a private room with natural lighting and provide lots of room to move around.

4. Practice Good Communication

Since your doctor will not meet you or your child face-to-face, your consultation will definitely rely on verbal communication. Nevertheless, you want to take some time before the consultation to write down your or your child’s symptoms and any questions or concerns you have.

The more accurately you can paint your concerns with your doctor, the more accurate your diagnosis will be.

Conclusion

Telemedicine can be a real lifesaver in keeping you and your family healthy. Just remember to familiarize yourself with your technology and communicate well with your doctor. If you aren’t sure whether your insurance covers telemedicine, simply ask your insurance provider to find out about your options. For more information about getting started with telemedicine, check out RetireGuide’s infographic below:.