By: Dr. Fleur Shirna Sack
Health technology is reaching new heights and has made connecting with your patients outside of the examination room easy to do and effective.
As a family practitioner, telemedicine is becoming a necessity. By offering my patients an option to connect in a setting beyond my office, I have been able to give them care beyond expectations.
It’s simple. Patients make their appointment as they would for any other visit. Integration into our workflow has been seamless and so far, patients have been receptive to the option. Even when I’m not in the office, I am able to monitor conditions through a HIPAA- compliant “facetime” capability in the app and connect with my patients.
Of course, there are various problems you may find difficult to diagnose over a telemedicine appointment – like diagnosing a ruptured ovarian cyst – but I have come across situations that have managed patients without having them travel to the office, urgent care center or emergency room. Creatively think of visits that need not be done face-to-face in office.
For example, a patient of mine was out of town and started experiencing palpitations. So we set up an appointment while she was in her hotel room. I observed her tapping out her pulse beats through “facetime” and was able to establish that these weren’t serious palpitations – all over telemedicine.
This not only saved my patient a trip to the emergency room, but also allowed me to maintain the continuity of care. Healthcare is personal and shouldn’t be treated with an impersonal approach. Seeing another doctor who didn’t know their history could have put my patient through care that was unnecessary.
This new technology has allowed established patients to receive the personalized care they need from their doctors – when they need it. It is no wonder health insurance companies are taking interest and patients are excited to use the service. Technology is on our side by making healthcare more accessible.
Dr. Fleur Sack is board certified in family medicine and specializes in caring for teenagers and adults. She balances her life with her profession, family, friends, reading, and exercising. She is happily married with grown children and 5 grandchildren.
To find out more information about Dr. Sack, visit her profile page here.
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