12 Comments
If you have used Telemedicine, what do you believe is the biggest advantage it provides?
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For me there are not many advantages since I like more to be in the office since they check my glycosylated hemoglobin through a device and another thing is that you can check my feet, insulin pump among other things.
It is so much easier and less stressful for me to not have to travel to the office (30-60 minutes) then wait around for the doctor, which can take 2-3 hours out of my day. Versus about 30-45 minutes on my laptop at home.
I selected two of the options as you can’t indicate two seperate ones by clicking in the small circles. These are: Getting medical assistance without having to commute; Not needing to be exposed to COVID-19.
I agree with Zoe, there aren’t really any advantages to a telemedicine call. I prefer going in to the office where my endo can check things out that she can’t see or do in a phone call.
I miss going to in-person appointments and I look forward to going back to them. My endocrinologist does great over video appointments, but I feel like in-person appointments are more personal and more helpful (for instance, I’m in the process of switching pumps/cgm). I put the commute is nice, because it is nice for now not having to squeeze in time to go before work.
Good parts are less exposure to COVID-19. Not so good parts are vitals(unless you already have your own equipment, BP, pulse ox, calibrated scale). The idea of no touching when you do have an in person visit.
The biggest advantage, I think, is that it gives patients one more option for getting the medical advice they need. It can work extremely well especially if you can stop by a lab sometime before the televisit. Not perfect for all visits, but a benefit during COVID-19.
In person visits are much better, providing more thorough physical care and a much better relationship with the physician resulting in better communication regarding physical and mental health. That being said, in Alaska, having the option for telemedicine is critical both for patients and physicians. We have physicians who travel all over the State to provide healthcare to people who also have to travel to places central to other small communities in order to receive this care. This kind of travel can be difficult, exhaustive and sometimes even dangerous where for some kinds of general visits, telemedicine would work just fine, lowering costs and ease of attendance. With CoVid, the additional safety and convenience of telemedicine has been extremely helpful. I have also participated in telemedicine with a naturopathic doctor where prior to CoVid, I spent time both one on one and in group calls (none, of which was covered by insurance). The work was in some ways much more helpful in mental and physical health that could not be achieved with one on one physical doctor visits. These advantages of Telemedicine need to be explored more thoroughly as we reckon with shortages of doctors in some areas. Opportunities for the use of other levels and areas of expertise in healthcare through telemedicine can provide a much more broad spectrum of health to many more individuals with T1D. As a side note, The use of teleconferencing has also been of great help to me in exploring new ways of dealing with my day to day issues of managing T1D.
I have only used telemedicine once and it was not good in comparison to a usual visit, but the time spent was easier getting there! (I assumed telemedicine means video conferencing as opposed to using the internet application hospitals have set up to ask doctors/clinics questions. This ability in the last ten years along with usual visits has helped a lot.)
I have really enjoyed Virtual visits with my endo. I do nit have to drive an hour there and an hour back each time and is the closest diabetic endo specialist in my area. I get my A1c and vitals at the local labcorp for $5 just up the street anytime I can stop in a couple days before my endo appointment. His office uploads my Dexcom clarity and had everything they would have at an in person visit. I can do this right from my home where I work remotely still because of Covid and my daughter also continues school virtually. Being high risk. I wish we could stay this way. Would suit me just fine. I use ExpressScripts mail pharmacy for all meds and supplies. Love it!
I wish we could have selected all of the ones that applied as I find most of the reasons listed being equally beneficial. I think I put, “I find it less intimidating to speak to Doctors from home than at their office” as my answer, but the following are just as much of a benefit to me…”Easier and more frequent access to medical providers”, “Getting medical assistance without having to commute” (even though the distance to my doctors office is not that far I still prefer to not have to go there), and “Not needing to be exposed to COVID-19”. I really had a hard time picking which one was the biggest advantage as I love all those things about it. I actually love everything about being able to have my visits be done virtually. I don’t even really care about not being able to get an official A1c test done as I test my levels often enough to have a very good idea what my A1c would be, especially since it has consistently been right around 5, often lower, for the last almost 7 years. I love being able to have my appointments from home and really hope that option never goes away.
Toss up between commute (which is horrendous) and covid (which is deadly). . . . ✌️🤸🌹