What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine allows medical professionals to use electronic communications and specialized software to provide you with remote clinical services. You receive an evaluation and treatment recommendations without having to visit the office.
Telemedicine is useful for many minor medical emergencies but is not for life-threatening events, such as a heart attack, stroke, deep wounds, or suicidal thoughts.
What types of conditions can receive treatment with telemedicine?
Management of chronic conditions, medication management, and follow-up visits can be successfully conducted with telemedicine services. Other issues that are usually well-served with telemedicine include, but aren’t limited to:
- Allergies and asthma
- Insect bites and stings
- Fever, cough, and flu
- Headaches
- Itchy eyes or pink eye
- Urinary tract infections
- Skin infections and rashes
- Nasal congestion
- Nausea or vomiting
Management of chronic dermatologic issues, such as psoriasis, eczema, alopecia, hives, and vitiligo are also possible via telemedicine.
What are the benefits of telemedicine?
Telemedicine offers you convenience. You don’t have to leave work or leave your daily responsibilities to make it to an appointment. It also eliminates clinic wait time. You save on money, too, by not paying for gas for travel or the expenses of an emergency room. Should you care for small children or the infirm, you don’t have to leave them to visit the doctor.
Telemedicine is entirely private, so you don’t even have to worry about seeing other patients. You also avoid exposure to possible contagions in the office.
Do I get adequate care with telemedicine?
When telemedicine is used under the right conditions and for appropriate reasons, it can be just as effective as in-person office visits. The telemedicine provider from Family Medicine and Acute Care of Sandhills evaluates your condition by reviewing your symptoms, viewing you on the screen, and assess your health history. However, if coming to the office would provide better care, your provider lets you know that.
Is telemedicine technology hard to use?
It’s easy to set up a telemedicine account and make your appointments using a simple app. For telemedicine visits, patients must be in the state of North Carolina at the time of service.
