Canada has rapidly embraced online consultation—the new health care service that has already been on the rise globally for some time. But many are still confused about how online consultation works and how it can benefit them.
The traditional way of consultation involves calling ahead of your doctor at their office to make an appointment then you go there to see him in person. A walk-in appointment in the office or directly to the emergency room is also a typical way. But modern healthcare has evolved a lot, thus, the advent of online consultation.
Online consultation is the kind of health care service where patients are not required to be physically present for examination. This involves remote diagnosis and treatment through the utilization of telecommunication technologies. The physician will monitor or track the patient’s health from a distance using remote testing or wearables.
Online consultation usually involves the most recently developed video-conferencing facilities with primary care professionals. With this, patients are no longer needed to leave their homes, brave the daily traffic, and wait at the clinic. They just have to use their internet connection wherever they may be, visit a website or a mobile app, and follow the instructions for online consultation.
Since its initial inception in the 1960s, online consultation or telemedicine has developed considerably. For decades, patient care has been facilitated through the transmittal of test results, patients record, or monitoring across borders and long distances. But with the increased availability of smartphones and mobile capabilities at present, the reality of online consultation has even become greener. Patients and doctors who may be at separate places can now effectively communicate about the health of the patient. And nowadays, there is an increasing number of physicians who embraced online consultation—from 5% in 2015 to 22% in 2018. But how does it work?
The standard practice in online consultation involves four universal steps.
- Initial
Usually, the patient has to download an app. He then has to use the app to answer a string of questions which gets down to diagnosis. This quick initial intake will also be followed by a triage process.
- Actual consultation
The patient will then be linked to the right medical professional. This step entails further diagnosis and the conveyance of appropriate medical advice to the patient. Here, the patient will undergo an in-depth consultation with a nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician.
- Result
A care plan will be given to the patient. He will also receive an appropriate prescription which the physician can send electronically via email. A free-of-charge medication delivery can also be arranged if necessary. Also, if needed, he will receive referrals for laboratory testing. The details you give must be current and updated.
- Monitoring
The same medical professional who attends to the patient will follow-up on him after one to seven days as determined by the diagnosis to assure a satisfactory patient outcome.
In a nutshell, online consultation is really easy. This is intentionally designed to be as easy to use as the typical mobile or computer applications that you may be familiar with. This will enable you to quickly get to the bottom of it and navigate to successfully address your health concern.
You just need a regular desktop computer or laptop with a microphone and camera or use your mobile device. A standard internet connection will also suffice for this purpose. As for the payment, the patient can simply send it through his PayPal account or through a credit card just like the way one purchase items from websites and online stores.
Patients should not be bothered by matters like privacy and security. Online consultation services strictly adhered to current national laws that safeguard the safety and security of patients and clients.
Currently, there is a growing number of primary care medical conditions being catered by the online consultation service. These health conditions include, but are not limited to, the following: sore throat, depression, anxiety, nasal congestion, allergies, sexually transmitted infections, urinary infections, insomnia, muscular and joint pain, dermatological issues like eczema, and rashes, and travel and nutritional health.
Online consultation and remote patient monitoring have yielded benefits to the patients. This has engaged the patients to better manage their respective health while also reducing their waiting and travel time. Also, this has improved patient involvement, awareness, satisfaction, and clinical results as it also reduced hospitalization and healthcare expenses. Chronic diseases have also been managed better through the use of this healthcare method, while access to experts and healthcare tools were increased.
Furthermore, online consultation and remote patient monitoring have resulted in the reduction of deaths, severe illnesses, and emergency room visits. These have also decreased the discomfort, embarrassment, or fear that usually comes along with in-person medical consultations.
So if you have health conditions that warrant medical intervention, or would like to know more about the online consultation service, you can reach out to a virtual walk-in clinic Hamilton. Connecting with your physician, either in person or virtually, will surely yield unparalleled benefit for your overall health and wellbeing.
