The COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic has made accessing healthcare very difficult for many patients. However, with the latest advancements in technology, telehealth, now allows patients to visit their doctors face-to-face from the comfort of their own homes – and without the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
Telehealth, or telemedicine, has actually been around for decades through the use of the telephone. Some doctors would talk to their patients via phone and discuss any health issues that should be addressed, all without an in-person visit. Today, telehealth is administered through the use of a video-enabled phone or computer.
Let’s talk about some of the main benefits of having your medical visits conducted online, and where you can go in North Bethesda for outstanding telehealth visits with a caring doctor.
What Are the Benefits of Telehealth?
Telehealth can offer important benefits to both patients and their healthcare providers, including the following:
Convenience
Telehealth enables patients to easily see a doctor whenever they need it, without the need to go to the doctor’s office. Telemedicine has been imperative in providing healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, so many doctors had to start utilizing this method to provide care despite (and due to) the stay-at-home restrictions.
Therefore, because so many physicians now offer telehealth thanks to this adjustment, this has been a boon to people who live in remote locations, are homebound, are disabled, or have a restricted schedule (due to childcare, work, etc.).
High-Quality Healthcare
Even though telehealth involves seeing your doctor virtually rather than physically in-person, a large number of health issues can be addressed.
Telehealth can be used to:
- Provide assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for nonemergency health issues
- Assess whether an illness, condition, or injury requires an in-person medical visit
- Provide medical advice, education, intervention, and preventive care
- Discuss and observe patient symptoms
- Start or renew a prescription
- Monitor an existing healthcare issue or current medications
- Order tests or provide a referral to see a specialist
- Review and monitor measurements such as blood pressure, blood sugar, or weight
Safety
For those of us who are highly susceptible to developing a serious reaction if exposed to infectious agents such as the novel coronavirus, being able to see a doctor who knows you without having to go to the doctor’s office could potentially be a life-saving benefit of virtual visits with your physician.
Concierge Medicine and Telehealth Visits
In concierge primary care medicine, patients pay a retainer fee in order to receive high-quality, personalized, on-demand medical care. This usually doesn’t involve health insurance, so both the patient and doctor are free of restrictions which would otherwise be levied upon both parties. Note that health insurance is still used to pay for things like prescriptions and offsite scanning services.
If the patient of a concierge medical practice prefers to have a telehealth appointment, the patient simply requests this service and the doctor will accommodate the patient with an online visit. Patients usually prefer to see their concierge doctor via smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
Concierge Care in North Bethesda, MD
If you are looking for high-quality, compassionate healthcare, visit North Bethesda Primary Care. Our own primary care physician Dr. Adam Possner is dedicated to being accessible and responsive to his patients’ healthcare needs, and he offers both in-person visits and telehealth visits.
If you would like to request a complimentary meeting with Dr. Possner and learn more about our membership-based concierge medical practice, call us today at (301) 941-4414 or fill out our simple online contact form now. We look forward to getting to know you and keeping you happy and healthy!
