- What are telehealth and virtual care?
- What kind of care can I receive virtually?
- How does a telehealth or virtual visit work?
- What is remote patient monitoring?
- What should I do to prepare for a virtual visit?
- What are the advantages of telehealth?
- What are the disadvantages of telehealth?
- Does my insurance cover telehealth?
Remember how new chatting with your doctor via a phone or video call seemed during the pandemic? Telehealth was actually around for decades beforehand, but for most of that time, it wasn’t really being used the way it is today.
“Patients love the ease and convenience of telehealth,” says Lyle Berkowitz, M.D., CEO of KeyCare, an Epic-based virtual care platform.
Telehealth has been life-changing for many. For one, you don’t have to leave your home or office just to see your doctor for certain types of healthcare needs. Those could include seeing your doctor for minor medical issues, like cold symptoms, or getting them to write a refill for one of your prescriptions. You can even connect with many mental health therapists via telehealth. And if you live in a rural area or have a mobility issue, telehealth can make it easier for you to access care.
Those are just some of the reasons telehealth is here to stay. Read on to learn more about telehealth and virtual visits and how they can benefit you.
Enter your ZIP code to access a telehealth plan near you.
Simply put, telehealth (aka telemedicine or virtual care) is the use of technology to allow you to be treated by a healthcare provider without going into their office. The visit is mostly conducted online via computers, tablets and smartphones (data rates may apply).
“The virtual visit aims to replicate an in-person doctor’s visit while providing convenient, accessible and personalized care to patients from the comfort of their own homes,” says Brad Younggren, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Circulate Health.
And virtual health is not limited to telemedicine, explains Dr. Younggren. It also includes services like:
- Health education
- Mobile health applications
- Remote patient monitoring
- Wearable devices
- Wellness programs
There is a wide range of healthcare services that can be done virtually, says Dr. Younggren. That can include having a consultation, discussing your symptoms, reviewing test results and getting treatment plan recommendations. According to Dr. Younggren, you can even have a virtual follow-up to an in-person visit to talk about how you are feeling, get changes to medication you may need and address other concerns.
In the past, according to Dr. Berkowitz, telehealth was generally used for diagnosing and treating more minor, routine urgent medical issues, such as:
- Allergies
- Back pain
- Bites or stings
- Burns (minor)
- Colds
- Constipation
- Coughs
- Fevers
- Flus
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Pink eye
- Sinus issues
- Sore throats
- Vomiting
But telehealth isn’t just limited to your physical health. You can also receive help with behavioral and mental health issues. Meeting with a psychologist or psychiatrist from the comfort of your own home can reduce anxiety and embarrassment you might feel when visiting their office.
To set up a virtual visit, you usually request an appointment through the web patient portal or mobile app of your provider, insurance company or non-insurance program. At the scheduled time, you can join through a secure videoconferencing or messaging platform.
From there, the visit will likely be similar to an in-person visit with a medical care provider.
“They will review patients’ allergies and medications and pertinent medical history, and then ask questions about the current issue,” Dr. Berkowitz explains. “They will then give patients their advice, prescribe medications and send appropriate health education.”
When you have your visit as a video chat, your provider can easily look at your eye infection or that unusual rash; otherwise, you can send photos to them. Though your provider may not be able to do some things, such as take your blood pressure or send you down the hall for a blood draw, there are workarounds.
If needed, your provider can send you to a third-party lab, just as they might do for an in-person visit. Or you can schedule an in-person follow-up and do it then.
“Once the lab completes the tests and returns them to the provider, they can review the results with the patient during a follow-up telehealth appointment,” Dr. Younggren says, “discussing any findings, providing explanations and determining appropriate next steps.”
An important part of digital health is remote patient monitoring, which lets your provider keep track of your condition between visits. It is done by using wearable devices or home monitoring equipment to measure vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar (glucose) levels.
“The collected data is then securely transmitted to healthcare providers,” Dr. Younggren explains, “who remotely monitor and analyze the information.”
As with in-person visits, jot down any questions you want to ask, make sure your list of medications is current, and update it if needed. Also, have your insurance card nearby. You may want to find a quiet, private area for the visit — some place that is comfortable and has good lighting.
Finally, get your technology ready:
- Check your internet connection or wireless signal.
- Test your audio and video before the virtual visit starts.
- Be sure the device you’re using is fully charged or plugged in.
- Sit back, relax and wait for the visit to start.
If you’re used to working remotely, or if your kids have done virtual learning, the tech details will probably be familiar. Otherwise, give yourself a little extra time beforehand to get set up.
Want easy access to virtual visits? Learn more about a telehealth membership.
The most obvious advantage of telehealth is convenience. You don’t have to travel to a provider’s office, find a place to park or spend time in a waiting room. (You might need to spend time in a virtual waiting room, but you can do something productive — such as work, read or fold laundry — while you wait.) That might also mean that you don’t have to coordinate or pay for childcare if you can work from home for the day.
Another benefit is that virtual care is often available 24/7. You may not have to miss work or school for a routine appointment. For example, you could do a telehealth appointment about a minor burn from home — or you could even chat about it in a private room at your office. You could also do a telehealth call well after most doctor’s offices are closed for the day. And telehealth may help you avoid a trip to an urgent care center.
Telehealth also gives you access to services that may not be available in your community. That might be if you live in a rural area where you don’t have access to the same healthcare services someone might in a large city. That can be particularly important for people looking to access mental health services. Case in point: 122 million Americans live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals, and even when a provider is available, they might have to wait days for an appointment.
Telehealth can also work well for people who have mobility issues, like those that use a wheelchair or are on crutches.
A big one: Telehealth can be less expensive. Some health insurance companies may offer monthly telehealth memberships or mental health–related programs where you can access things like general medicine and dermatology services, too.
Some insurance companies may even offer telehealth visits at no additional cost. “The cost to a patient can be lower due to decreased travel costs and time off from work,” explains Dr. Berkowitz.
Telehealth can also reduce visits to the emergency room and admissions to the hospital, says Dr. Berkowitz. And it helps with the preventive healthcare gap, which is when people don’t get the recommended screenings, such as for high blood pressure, for common chronic conditions.
