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.
For years upon years, patients have had to find a way to see their doctor for in-person appointments. Many individuals have relied on their vehicle, or public transit, to get them to the medical clinic, occasionally cursing bad traffic or other uncontrollable delays for making the trek far harder than it needed to be.
However, for patients with mobility issues, many greater challenges have existed. Fortunately, now that telemedicine solutions are being adopted by more and more doctors, these individuals finally have an easier way to keep up with their health.
While many segments of patients will be pleased to see that your medical clinic is now allowing patient video calls, those who have trouble getting around will be the ones who truly benefit from online doctor’s appointments. Here’s how:
No Need to Find Transport
For patients who are unable to drive or don’t have easy access to public transit options, they’ve had to rely on loved ones to get them to and from in-person appointments. This reliance, unfortunately, can make scheduling said appointments complicated, seeing that timing would also hinge on the loved one’s availability.
When your practice makes it possible for patients to have a live video chat online with their doctor, they can pick a time that works best for them, and not go through the process of tracking down someone for a lift.
More Appointments Can be Made
For a person with mobility issues, travelling to an appointment can feel like a hassle. As a result, they become less interested in seeing their doctor unless they consider a medical matter they have to be urgent.
In reality, though, patients with any type of medical concern should not feel hesitant about making an appointment – simply because of how challenging it could be to get to said appointment.
Thus, by employing a telemedicine solution at your practice, your patients will feel encouraged to make a doctor’s appointment whenever they see fit. As such, they will no longer have to weigh the pros and cons of the effort it’ll take to see their doctor.
Less Fatigue
Creating and executing a travel plan can be tiring for a person with mobility issues – especially if the mobility issues in question are related to a physical or mental disability; old age; long-term injuries, etc.
When a patient gets to book a doctor’s appointment online, then have an online doctor’s appointment, they will be fully energized and alert when it is time to see the doctor. If these individuals were forced to travel in for an appointment, the exhaustion experienced could exacerbate a health issue, or make it harder for the patient to remain focused through their appointment.
Lower Level of Stress
When patients can wipe away the need to find transport, the ability to make appointments whenever necessary, and not feel worn out as a result, stress levels will absolutely drop.
A patient who instead gets to have a virtual medicine appointment online will feel much more at ease when seeing their doctor. Instead of feeling revved up and flustered at the outset of an appointment, there will be a calmness.
This calmness will make it easier for the doctor and patient to discuss the medical issue at-hand, as well as figure out what the next steps should be. Once the appointment is over, the patient can simply exit the video chat app and go about their day – instead of worrying about how to get home again.
Tap here to learn more about how Banty Virtual Clinic can help your practice make appointments easier for your patients with mobility issues.
