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.
Getting to a doctor’s office is just another errand many people can do without having to think twice about it. However, for a multitude of reasons, not all individuals are easily able to visit their physician.
Over the years, video call technology has evolved to make it secure and simple for medical practices to conduct certain patient meetings in an online environment. At the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic, many clinics embraced telemedicine appointments when it was recommended that people stay home as much as possible.
Aside from such a public health crisis, virtual medicine is still being practiced as a way to assist others who are unable - or don't want to - physically go to their doctor’s office. If your clinic has yet to embrace such technology, it’s time to consider doing so. By making this adjustment, you will be able to help out so many people, including:
Seniors
A number of seniors have mobility issues that make it physically challenging for them to travel outside of their residence. Others, meanwhile, have ongoing health issues which could be made worse if exposed to viruses being carried by those in a clinic waiting room.
Welcoming a user-friendly virtual medicine service into your office will let older clients know there is a less strenuous way to see their physician for non-urgent matters.
Individuals with Physical and/or Mental Disabilities
When someone has a physical or mental disability, certain outings many of us take for granted are far more challenging to complete. By making it possible for these individuals to not just book a doctor’s appointment online, but also be able to attend one virtually, what could’ve been a stressful situation is immediately remedied.
This is what online medicine is supposed to be: an easier way for a person to get the treatment they need without it feeling like a struggle.
Remote Area Residents
Not everyone enjoys living in a major city centre, or an overpopulated suburban area. Some enjoy living in a more spacious, rural environment in which the land is large, but the access to certain amenities isn’t as readily available.
Aside from emergencies, individuals living in more remote areas would prefer the freedom of making a virtual doctor appointment and not have to embark on a long drive to get a prescription filled, learn about a test result, or discover that cough is nothing to worry about.
Shift Workers
For shift workers, their schedules are often all over the place. One week it could be days, the next it could be overnights. When someone’s work schedule is constantly changing like this, physically seeing a doctor is tough.
Making it possible for such a patient to have a video conference with their doctor will help them avoid calendar chaos – especially those who work nights. The last thing they want is to interrupt their pre-shift sleep for a trip to the doctor’s office.
Busy Parents
Between work, errands around the house, and continuously wrangling the children, parents always have a lot going on. When at their busiest, receiving a notification about having to go and visit their doctor is undesirable.
However, if you were to tell these very same busy parents that you offer telemedicine appointments, immediate relief will be felt. For them, making an online doctor appointment will be far more appealing and easier to manage than planning a physical outing.
Students Studying Far from Home
When a student is away from home to work on their studies, deciding what to do about a doctor’s appointment in a different community can be tricky. Sure, there are walk-in clinics, but not everyone wants to deal with a doctor that is not their own.
By offering virtual medicine appointments, these students will feel great about the opportunity to see their doctor face-to-face. Going to class, reviewing notes, working on assignments, and preparing for tests take a lot of effort as is. Shouldn’t students have easy access to a live video chat online with the doctor they trust the most?
Banty offers virtual medicine solutions for medical practices of all sizes.
Tap here to learn more about our services and pricing.
