Now more than ever, in the wake of COVID-19, keeping medical appointments has become more challenging than ever before. This lapse in treatment is a huge concern for the med-legal community and can harm the outcome of a patient’s case. During Doctors on Liens’ webinar series, both Dr. Kenny Hanna, MD and Dr. Richard Sayegh, DC agreed that the recent implementation of telemedicine into their practices has been greatly beneficial for themselves and their patients. Dr. Hanna, MD specifically said it has been nice for patients who might have otherwise missed appointments due to challenges getting to the office. Should a patient not show up for their scheduled Zoom medicine appointment, someone from the office can call them and get it started. Although it is not ideal for every case and patient, during this unique time, telehealth can help many people continue their treatment plans.
What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine offers health resources to patients from the comfort of their own homes. With Telemedicine a patient can speak to doctors and specialists using only their mobile device which allows health care providers to monitor their health virtually. While there are limitations, such as a chiropractor performing adjustments through Telemedicine, it is still a valuable tool for connecting patients to doctors. These appointments are a great tool for doctors to perform any routine consultation where they can also discuss if coming for an in-person meeting is crucial or can be put on hold. In other words, Telemedicine is vital for patients that do not have emergency needs but still have to keep their injuries monitored.
The Future of Telehealth
The world is quickly adjusting to meet an era that is more digital than ever before. Restaurant menus are being offered digitally via barcode, many workers have been moved to home offices, and doctor visits are being conducted digitally. As a society, we have realized the ease of a digital world, and it is becoming more of a “normal” and less of a “temporary” solution. It is possible that Telehealth will remain for the following types of visits:
- Initial consultations
- Therapy and mental health sessions
- Discussing and monitoring treatment options
- Post-operative follow ups
- Treatment tracking
- X-ray and other image review sessions
- Monitoring recovery from surgery
- Visits to prescribe or change medications
- Discussing new symptoms
- Monitoring physical therapy progress
How Do I Arrange a Telemedicine Appointment?
Once you have chosen an office near you that works on a lien basis, call their office and ask to set up an initial consultation via telemedicine. From there, the doctor will give you his or her advice on what is necessary to continue your treatment. For some services, telemedicine follow-ups will work fine. For other needs, such as chiropractic adjustments, the doctor will schedule a time for you to come into their office for an in-person visit. Offices are now being carefully managed and scheduled to keep human contact to a minimum in order to keep all patients and staff safely social distancing.
The Benefits of Telemedicine
The benefits of telemedicine are simple. Through Telemedicine you save time that would’ve been spend driving to and from an office. You receive the same level of care from the comfort of your own home. It brings convenience to a whole new level. And, frankly, you will be more comfortable speaking with a professional for the first time while in your own space.
So, if you have been injured or are an attorney looking to connect an injured patient with a doctor who works on a liens basis for a telemedicine visit, be sure to review our list of qualified medical professionals to find one in your area today.
