5 Benefits of Telemedicine

The practice of medicine has changed quite a bit in recent years, especially in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. One positive change for most people is that telemedicine has become pretty widely available, which has a dramatic impact on your ability to receive health care.

If you aren’t familiar with telemedicine, it’s time to consider it as an option to make your life easier. If you’re like many people, you may find that you prefer telemedicine when it’s an appropriate option. Read on, as the providers at NewMed Immediate Care explain five of the top benefits of telemedicine.

What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine is a real-time way to have a video conference with your doctor. It’s not much different from a face-to-face visit to the office. If your condition only requires checking in and monitoring or if you need a medication refill, for example, those issues can usually be managed well by telemedicine.

The most appropriate circumstances for a telemedicine visit include the following:

• Sinus infections
• Acne
• Influenza (the flu)
• Pink eye
• Headaches
• Urinary tract infections
• Medication monitoring
• Assessments for other minor infections, which need to be treated but aren’t serious enough to warrant a visit to the emergency room
• Mental health follow-up visits

These are only a few of the many options for a telemedicine visit. If you’re unsure whether your condition warrants a telemedicine (or telehealth) visit, just ask! 

5 of the top benefits of telemedicine

Telemedicine brings a new sense of convenience and urgency to getting health care. Some of the benefits of telemedicine include the following:

Convenience

It can be a bit of an ordeal to get to a traditional in-office visit for many people. Whether you have a busy job or you’re providing care for small children, it’s probably not that easy to get to an appointment in person. You may have to arrange for time off of work or alternate child care and then have the extra time to commute to and from the appointment.

When you have a telemedicine visit, you’re seen by your doctor, usually pretty close to your scheduled time. You rarely have to worry about waiting for an hour or more to see the doctor. Your issue(s) can be addressed, appropriate prescriptions written if needed, and you can be on your way, with little interruption to your day.

Improved access to doctors

Sometimes, getting a referral to a doctor can come with a long wait time — which may be even longer if you don’t currently have a relationship with a doctor or you don’t have health insurance. The Covid-19 pandemic worsened and accelerated an already existing shortage of family practitioners. In fact, since 2016, 51% of general-practice concerns are treated by a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.

Many people may live in rural areas without a nearby doctor or may be uninsured or have high-deductible health care plans. Telemedicine improves access to doctors in all of these cases.

Lower cost

As part of improving access to health care overall, telemedicine also addresses one big concern among patients: the cost of visits to the doctor.

If you’re currently uninsured or have a costly high-deductible health plan, seeing the doctor for relatively minor concerns can become a big headache. The fact that telemedicine is usually much cheaper is definitely a point in its favor.

Reduced exposure to pathogens

Especially now that we’re living with Covid-19 as an ongoing threat, many people are a lot more concerned than they used to be about reducing their risk to pathogens (germs.) Why spend all that time in a crowded waiting room around other sick people, when you could avoid that risk and stay home?

Telemedicine doesn’t increase your risk of exposure to germs. This can be especially essential if you have a compromised immune system.

Reduced anxiety

Some people are scared to see the doctor. This can sometimes be to a point that’s bad enough that you can consider it a full-blown phobia. This is not an uncommon problem, either: It’s estimated that 1 in 3 people avoid going to the doctor, even when they think they need health care. This failure to get timely treatment can have serious consequences if conditions go untreated for long enough.

Telemedicine doesn’t completely eliminate this fear, of course. But many people find it much more tolerable to be at home for their doctor’s appointments.

If you are wondering if your condition can be treated by telemedicine, it’s always a good idea to ask us. Contact the providers at Cermak Immediate Care in Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, or Mount Prospect, Illinois, or request an appointment online.