We spend so much of our time online and fill our life with online activities, that it makes sense that health care is expanding in that direction as well. Now days we can pretty much do anything with a click of a button, and health care is becoming no different. Health care on demand allows patients to connect with health care providers though websites and mobile apps. Some providers even have the option of having a health care professional do an in home visit. Consumers can now get the service they want when the need it thanks to technology. 

The online health industry is constantly changing and growing. There are many independent companies popping up that are strictly offering on demand services. Larger health care systems are also realizing that there are many patients whose needs aren’t being entirely met in the traditional health care system and they are looking into on demand health care as well. There are many clinics which offer providers for such instances as allergies, rashes, back pain, urinary tract infections, mainly non-life threatening conditions. This allows patients to skip the wait times and office visits. They don’t have to go into a doctor’s office and encounter people. Especially at a time where germs are so prevalent, it is a great resource to use to be able to distance yourself from other potential germs. We live in a time where it’s go go go. People’s days are always full and once one activity is completed it is time for the next one. Whether you are a working parent, a business person, a student, or a senior, getting into the actual doctor’s office can be quite the hassle. On demand health care can fit into anyone’s busy schedule. 

So how will on demand health care compare to an in person office visit? On demand health care is not appropriate for all health issues. But there is definitely a need for it in other areas of healthcare. It is good for follow up appointments, minor illnesses and injuries, mental health counseling, etc. On demand health care can also save consumers money. A virtual visit cost about forty percent of an office visit, and only four percent of an emergency room visit. The cost for a virtual visit can be less than the co-pay to your doctor’s office visit. If additional testing is required from your virtual appointment, doctors are able to refer patients to labs or imaging centers to get additional treatment done. 

On demand health care should not replace annual exams that should be performed. In person health care will still be needed, and relationships with those doctors still need to happen. This is just an option that will go along with your regularly scheduled appointments. There are many ailments that just require a quick remedy that wouldn’t require an actual in person visit. The consumer must correctly choose which ailments require which type of doctor. On demand health care is meant to help simplify our already busy lives and provide us with an option that is more accessible when we need it. 

The medical world is always changing. Technology is always bringing about great changes in every industry, but especially the medical industry. Doctors are constantly looking for ways they can better treat their patients. Telemedicine allows consumers to obtain medical services electronically. Speaking with a doctor online can be very beneficial for lots of people, and we now live in a time where this is possible. Telemedicine is the exchange of medical information from one site through another electronically. It is designed to help improve the health of an individual. Waiting to get into a doctor when you need help immediately can be difficult. With a couple clicks on a computer or phone, you can be chatting with a doctor to discuss any problems you may encounter. 

There are several benefits for chatting with a live doctor. It used to be that you were limited to the doctors that lived in your region. How far were you willing to drive to visit a doctor? You now can have access to top doctors that have different qualifications and degrees from different institutes and specialize in different fields. You are able to connect with a doctor instantly from the comfort of your own home. These visits tend to be a fraction of the cost of an in person visit.  Online chats with doctors have a valuable purpose. They are designed to help answer general health questions. They will not replace the care of a physical examination when one is needed, and they don’t always have full access to your medical history. 

Chatting with an online doctor is the most convenient way when suffering with certain ailments. If you feel very sick and don’t want to leave the house, chatting online is great because you aren’t running the risk of exposing others to your germs. If your current doctor isn’t available and you need advice before they are able to connect with you. If you have a busy schedule and cannot find the time to schedule an office visit. If you have just moved and haven’t had time to establish a primary care physician and need immediate help. Or if you are out of town and aren’t able to reach your current health care provider and need medical attention before you get back home. 

Speaking online with a doctor can be a great stepping stone in determining what treatment is needed. As we have stated, not all ailments can be treated online, some require in person visits. But sometimes we aren’t sure exactly what is going on or what type of medical treatment is needed. Rather than going into an office to discuss what options are, online doctors are a great place to start. They can discuss with you what is going on and what some possible causes could be and help you determine from there what course of action needs to be taken. We have all been to those office visits where we think it wasn’t the best use of our time to have been there. Online medical help from doctors can be more convenient and they are able to help treat a number of issues, but they are also a great stepping stone in getting different types of treatments and help you determine the next step. 

Did you know that in an average doctor’s visit, the patient sees the doctor for about 7 minutes? When factoring in travel time and wait time, you aren’t really getting that much face time with your health care professional. Virtual doctor visits are most popular for their shorter overall time that is required from the patient. There are certain requirements that healthcare professionals are required to follow in order to do telemedicine, and sometimes it may seem like a lot of leg work at the beginning. But virtual visits are designed to be less time consuming and provide a more personalized care to help patients maintain their overall health and wellbeing in a more successful manner.

Convenience is the number one benefit of virtual medicine. There are many benefits associated to telemedicine. It connects people in more rural parts of the country. It is beneficial for new moms who could be being treated for postpartum depression. Before, patients would have to schedule time off for doctor’s visits. Maybe take a half day off from work even. But now days, patients can schedule their visit for a lunch time break or even just schedule time to leave work a little bit early. 

Waiting in a virtual waiting room is so much better than waiting in a physical waiting room. A doctor’s waiting room is not an ideal place to spend time. Not only is it bothersome to just sit and wait, it can be a germ infestation. It isn’t the greatest idea for sick people to congregate and sit with other sick people. Or for those who are feeling healthy to be required to wait with those who aren’t feeling well. Especially for elderly people or those people that have compromised immune systems. For a virtual visit, you can wait in the comfort of your own home until it is your turn. 

Virtual visits allow patients to be more engaged during their appointments. Video conferencing can allow doctors to bring up their patients charts and mark it accordingly while screen sharing with their patient.  By sharing screens it allows the patient to see the information the doctor is presenting and be able to absorb the information better.

Patients feel like their doctor is actually paying better attention to them during a virtual visit. At first it can seem that the camera may make things feel a little less personal, but it actually does quite the opposite. Chatting over a video conference has made patients feel that their doctors are actually paying better attention and are more focused on them. 

It might seem like a big change to start using telemedicine, but don’t be afraid of it. You will still be receiving excellent medical care. You can rest assured that the information passed between your virtual visit is private and secure. These visits are still HIPPA compliant. Medical offices are just trying to be more efficient for them and for you. They recognize that there are many instances where in person visits are not required, and to save you and them time and money, they are offering virtual visits that will benefit you and your family.

Virtual medical care is a great way to connect with your doctor without having to go into your doctor’s office. This is usually done through video conferencing. These types of appointments are best for minor ailments, such as coughs, colds, rashes, etc. It is a great alternative to health care when an actual physical examination isn’t required. Virtual care is also great for mental health care as well. But before your virtual visit begins, there are a few helpful tips that you can use to make sure you get the most out of your visit. 

Before you even schedule your virtual visit, you should verify that your health insurance covers this type of appointment. You should contact your provider and ask what the out of pocket cost will be associated with virtual visits. If you are seeing your primary care physician, the coverage may be the same as an in person visit. But you will still want to verify with your insurance company what type of coverage you carry. Since the coronavirus pandemic, many insurance companies are working to include the same coverage for virtual visits versus in person visits. 

Once you have verified your health insurance coverage you will be ready to make your virtual appointment. This is usually done online or by calling your doctor’s office. Some offices will have patient portals where you can log in and have access to your medical information and can request appointments as well. Once your appointment is scheduled, you will need to make sure that you will have internet access for your allotted appointment time. For video calls you will need to make sure that you have the ability to video conference in. Make sure are aware of the procedures for starting your virtual visit. 

For the actual visit you will want to make sure that you set up in a quiet and well-lit area. You want to make sure that you and your doctor can hear and see each other clearly. Using headphones will allow you both to hear each other more clearly without any outside noise and distractions. It will also give you more privacy. Be patient, technology can be unreliable. The internet may lag and screens may freeze, make sure to stay calm and be patient while things load back up. 

Prepare for your visit the same way you would an in person visit. Make sure you can list the timeline of your symptoms, be prepared to review your medical history, and have any over the counter medications readily available as well as any prescriptions you may be taking. It can be helpful to make a list of questions you have for your doctor so that you are prepared to discuss any concerns. 

Overall, treat this visit like you would any other medical visit. Be prepared to discuss your symptoms and be ready to receive their medical advice. If communication is clear, it will help the doctor diagnose the problem and give you, the patient, the medical treatment that is necessary. 

Virtual care is a concept that is changing the healthcare organization. This type of medicine covers real time visits that are done virtually. Patients and health care providers use modern technology to communicate and have office visits. This is usually done by either mobile apps or video conference calls. Employers are now offering their employees virtual care as part of their insurance packages. 

It is no surprise that virtual care is an ever expanding industry. There are many advantages that come with online doctor visits. These advantages are both geared toward the patient, the health care providers and the health care administrators and leaders.  Patients are able to enjoy the convenience and have more access to doctors at the touch of their hand. Health care professionals are able to have a more flexible schedule and have more access to their patients.  The administrators are able to lower their medical expenses and will be able to boost their efficiency level. 

The convenience factor is definitely the huge benefit for patients using virtual care. Being able to have doctor visits from the comfort of their own home, saves them on their valuable time of traveling to and from doctor’s offices. For some people it isn’t even about the comfort, there are many people that live in rural areas who aren’t able to take time away to make those doctors’ visits when they are necessary. In these types of situations, it allows patients to have more access to their doctors that they wouldn’t normally get. Virtual care also allows people to meet with specialists that are outside of their region. They are no longer limited to doctors that are within driving distance. Virtual care visits also tend to be less expensive than an office visit. 

The convenience factor also benefits the health care professionals, but more than that, these types of visits allow the doctors and nurses to be more proficient. Not all visits require in office visits. There are definitely cases that can be handled via technology, which frees up time for both parties. These types of visits are effective at answering people’s questions and providing care that doesn’t require in person treatment. It will also allow health care providers to have a better relationship with their patients. 

Virtual care can help cut costs for health care organizations. When no shows happen in office it takes time away from those who need medical treatment. Virtual visits have been shown to reduce the amount of unnecessary specialist visits. This helps in overhead costs and time. When patients are seeing the types of doctors that they need, it allows them to have the appropriate care that they require. 

Virtual care benefits all parties involved. As technology and modern medicine continues to evolve, you can expect virtual medicine to stick around. More patients will be using this type of medical care. The demand for convenience is definitely there, but it is quickly becoming more than just the convenience factor. It is a better financial choice and it provides quality care from qualified professionals. 

Did you know that over half of the hospitals in the United States are using telemedicine? This is a trend that continuing to rise.  Executives from health care practices big and small are starting to implement virtual visits within their organization. With any new changes and policy procedures that are being implemented, there will be pros and cons to be considered. No industry is perfect, there are always instances where virtual medicine will not be the best option, but we are going to point out some of the pros and cons that are related to telemedicine. 

There are the quick and obvious pros that can be associated with virtual care. Patients are provided with better access to their health care professionals. This results in happier patients because they are able to meet with their doctor on their terms. They will have a better relationship with their doctor because their doctor will seem more accessible. Many patients prefer interacting with their health care providers via technology rather than in person visits. Convenience is the one factor everyone is looking for to make their lives a little easier. 

Patients are more engaging with their providers through virtual care. Virtual visits help patients keep their appointments better. Follow up appointment and care are more easily scheduled into their lives. Having the health care professionals and patients engage more via technology can help with goals and follow ups that would otherwise be hard to keep. It also allows a better venue for patients to reach out with questions they may have concerning their care. Warning signs may be reported earlier and follow ups may help catch other symptoms or ailments that may have otherwise been missed. 

One of the cons for patients using telemedicine is that they may not be able to connect with their personal health care provider. Some telemedicine services may connect them with a doctor at random. This can provide complications that result from not being able to see the patients chart and know their previous history. Some medical issues this may not be a problem with. Some ailment can be addressed and fixed without any background information. But if a patient is being treated for a long term issue, it may be helpful to make sure their provider has the ability to do virtual visits. 

Virtual visits are not for everyone. Some people will still want to experience the in person visit. And the fact of the matter is, not all visits can be done virtually. It is important to understand that virtual healthcare is not replacing the in person healthcare. It is only to be considered a supplement to their general healthcare. Look at it as a way to be able to connect with your doctor when the cause and demand occurs. But also make sure that you stay ahead of your health and still go to your in person checkups. Being able to connect with your doctor in and out of the office allows for better communication regarding your healthcare needs.