Banty Co-Founder and Medical Director, Dr. Richard Tytus, provided the subject matter and direction for this article. The author would like to thank Adam Grant for his editorial assistance in writing the article. Dr. Richard Tytus takes responsibility for the content of the article.
Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, medical patients would by-and-large always have to visit a clinic in order to see their doctor. Of course, occasionally some appointments would happen over the phone instead, but those often felt like a lacklustre option.
However, due to the various health and safety measures physicians and patients need to face at the outset of the pandemic, the role of online doctor visits via a video conference solution became much more prevalent and necessary.
Of course, this shift took time for physicians and patients alike to get used to. While some people crave new technology and the possibilities it can bring, others are intimidated by it and want to keep it at an arm’s length.
Fortunately we have come to learn that over time both parties began to find the benefits associated with telehealth. So much so, many in the healthcare community plan to continue having video calls with patients whenever possible.
If you are a doctor with patients still on the fence about virtual medicine, it’s important to explain to these individuals how telehealth appointments can improve their medical experience. Here are some of the ways:
Unnecessary Visits are Minimized
Sometimes, patients can get frustrated if they feel as if they have been dragged to a medical clinic for an appointment that could have been done remotely.
For many patients, travelling to a doctor’s appointment can be a time-consuming endeavour. They have to consider how much traffic they might face to and from a visit, time spent in the waiting room, the length of the appointment itself, as well as any checkout process.
When certain appointments can be conducted via video call, they will feel like less of a burden to so many patients. They will feel happy that you have valued their time and did not force them to spend hours of their day dedicated to a doctor’s visit that typically lasts 10 minutes.
Less Impact on a Person’s Work, Family and Social Calendars
Adult life is busy. Throughout the week, many of us have a multitude of pre-scheduled commitments that make up our routine. Unfortunately, when a new medical appointment is tossed into the mix, this can create calendar chaos.
As important as regular doctor visits are, sometimes a patient is unable to wiggle out of specific work meetings or pre-scheduled activities with their children or social circle. However, online doctor visits help make it possible to keep a calendar from getting out of control.
Instead of making arrangements to shift everything around to get to an appointment, a patient can instead log into one online from wherever they might be – this can include a private office, the home, or even the car. In a matter of moments, an appointment can cover everything from A to Z without any scheduling stress involved.
Kept Away from Waiting Rooms
While people like their doctors, oftentimes it is the waiting room at a clinic that makes patients uneasy. They’re busy, loud and packed with people who may have highly contagious ailments.
Now, telehealth appointments help take this type of anxiety away from a patient. By participating in an online medicine appointment instead, the patient’s waiting room now becomes whichever space they are situated in.
This means the individual can continue to work or spend quality time with their children without having to abandon it all to get a waiting room and twiddle thumbs for far longer than desired.
