Health ITTelemedicine5 Reasons You Might Prefer a Telehealth Visit

Telehealth visits increased dramatically throughout the pandemic, but they’ve continued to stay popular amongst the public as stay-at-home orders and mask mandates dissolved across the country. Telehealth offers individuals the ability to have an appointment with their healthcare providers remotely through a secure telehealth app, web browser, or video conferencing program. Patients are typically sent a video link to a conference with their healthcare provider where they can discuss their symptoms or condition.

The pandemic helped highlight the advantages of catering to an online health community.  As patients started to prefer telehealth visits, members within the health care sector have also begun to speak out on the importance of offering telehealth visits. Improvements in both the technology and the health insurance industry have allowed wider access to telehealth than ever before.

While there’s some hesitancy amongst older generations, millennials and younger generations are leading the call to expedite the expansion of the telehealth world. Below, here are five reasons you might prefer a telehealth visit.

If You Suffer From Mental Health Issues

Those who suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD may prefer telehealth. Therapy and psychiatry appointments can be emotionally and physically draining for those with mental health issues, especially when they’re severe. Through telehealth visits, you can meet with your therapist or psychiatrist in the comfort of your own home.

Some studies suggest that people are more inclined to be truthful when they’re speaking to their therapist or psychiatrist from home as well. It’s believed that the environment being neutral, calming, a place the patient knows plays a large role in this.

People who are prone to experiencing mental health emergencies can quickly connect to their telehealth providers 24/7. This is especially beneficial in preventing and lowering suicide and self-harm rates amongst the public.

It’s Cost-Effective

Telehealth is incredibly cost-effective when compared to alternatives. For example, the typical telehealth appointment cost is $50 whereas the typical cost for a trip to urgent care for the same diagnosis is $250. Many private health insurance companies now support telehealth services. It’s important to research your health insurance plan to make sure that telehealth is included and doesn’t have any restrictions about what kinds of healthcare professionals you can see with it.

Avoid Exposure to Contagions

A hospital or doctor’s waiting room can be a breeding ground for illnesses and bacteria. Telehealth visits offer you the option to miss out on being surrounded by sick patients. It also allows people who are prone to getting contagious viruses such as strep throat or sinus infection a simple way to communicate their needs with their doctor. No one likes to go anywhere when they’re sick. Telehealth allows you the option to communicate your illness with your doctor from home, where you can rest and recuperate while heeding your telehealth doctors’ advice.

Telehealth Visits Are Convenient

The number one reason millennials say they prefer telehealth visits to in-person doctor visits is because of the convenience. Before telehealth was an option, a doctor or therapist’s appointment was something you had to plan your whole day around. People leave work early, call out for the day, or miss family or friends’ events because of their appointment schedules.

By using telehealth you can avoid these conflicts of interest by scheduling online check-ins around your schedule. That way, even if you’re planning on going out of town when your therapist has her next appointment, you can still get a session via telehealth. Additionally, telehealth platforms give you constant access to your medical information and typically have a representative on-call 24/7.

Telehealth is particularly convenient for people with chronic conditions. Getting out of the house for a routine check-up can be debilitating for them. Allowing chronic illness patients the option to communicate with their healthcare providers from home gives doctors more access to these patients’ medical stats. Patients can communicate as they see fit with their doctors rather than waiting for their next in-person visit. Patients will also have access to faster intervention practices.

Easily Refill Prescriptions

Refilling prescriptions can be taxing. Patients need to make an appointment and go into their healthcare provider’s office only to confirm that they still need to be taking the medicine they’re currently on. Telehealth makes prescription refill visits short and to the point, allowing you to schedule them throughout your day without having to drive across town for a 15-minute meeting.

This post has been sponsored by webseomix