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Visiting the doctor used to be a painful process, both literally and figuratively. Especially if you need to visit an emergency room, you could be waiting for hours. You might be forced to skip a whole day’s work if you got sick on a particularly busy day.
All of that is changing with new online doctor visits. Seeing an online doctor is a great way to get the care you need. A virtual doctor can give you high-quality care right from the comfort of your home wherever you are.
An online doctor can provide the kind of personalized care you expect from your traditional appointments without the hassle. Your online doctor will be able to do everything—from writing prescriptions to answering all of your questions—and you never have to leave your house.
Some patients have been nervous to try telehealth or online doctor service. They’re worried the quality of care might slip or that they won’t be able to get the treatment they need. But, telehealth is very effective, and online healthcare providers are always prepared to ease all your anxieties about online doctor visits.
Here are six incredible reasons to choose an online doctor visit over an in-person appointment.
The convenience of online doctor visits
The biggest benefit of an online doctor appointment versus a traditional appointment is the convenience. Online doctor visits can be done on your schedule, at your convenience.
We know how valuable your time is and we don’t want you wasting it on travel or waiting time, especially when you’re sick. With an online doctor, just set up the time for your appointment and make sure you are connected to the internet during that time. You can dial into your appointment using your smartphone or laptop.
Online doctor visits are also beneficial when you cannot get out of bed and you’re feeling ill. Patients find it especially helpful to schedule an appointment with an online doctor when they’ve got symptoms of the flu that make them lethargic and exhausted.
It should be noted that if your symptoms are severe, you should go to the emergency room as soon as possible. But if you don’t think your symptoms or condition is an emergency, you can take advantage of the convenience of online doctor visits and stay home for your appointment.
Receive undivided attention from your online doctor
With an online doctor, you don’t have to worry about competing for your doctor’s attention. For the entirety of your appointment, your doctor will give you his or her undivided attention. No interruptions, no excusing themselves from your exam room while they tend to another patient down the hall.
During an online doctor visit, you will have time to ask all the questions you want, plus follow-up questions for anything you’re confused about. Your online doctor keeps focused on your concerns until your appointment is finished.
Your online doctor can suggest scans, blood work, and even write prescriptions just like any doctor from an in-person visit. So you can spend time getting all the information you need from him or her.
Avoid contact with other sick patients
More than feeling like they’re wasting valuable time, the waiting room bothers patients because it exposes them to other sick people. At doctor’s waiting rooms, even when face masks and antibacterial gel are offered to sanitize and encourage people to use all the regular health precautions, there’s no getting around sick individuals especially when the flu season is in full force.
With an online doctor appointment, you get to skip the unpleasant environment of the waiting room. you keep your illness contained to your home and you aren’t risking catching a different illness from someone else at the same time. While there are times that you cannot avoid seeing a doctor in-person, patients love the option to avoid contracting additional illness when scheduling an online doctor visit.
Just remember that unlike an urgent care center, you’ll have to schedule an online doctor visit in advance — you won’t be able to just walk in and wait in line. Some prior planning is involved with seeing an online doctor, but it’s well worth it. Plus, even with this essential step, patients can schedule same-day appointments within the hour, if that consultation time is available.
Online doctor visit can be more affordable
As with all doctor visits, there are costs associated with an online doctor. The difference is there is only the cost of the appointment, rather than additional costs that come with in-person doctor’s visits.
Many patients who visit urgent care do so at the expense of a day’s work. Although Nao Medical works to keep waiting times as low as possible, we can’t guarantee anything. It’s important to us (and better for you) if you use your sick time recovering from any medical concern you have, not waiting in an office. With an online healthcare provider, you can take your appointment on your lunch break, during your commute, or after work. You won’t need to forfeit work hours to get the help you need.
You can also avoid transportation costs. Staying at home means you don’t have to pay for the subway or a bus ticket. Your online doctor visit can be taken from the comfort of your home (or more accurately, your bed). Think of it like a house call, except you don’t have to get up to answer the door for anyone. And if you need a note for work, your online healthcare provider will email it to you at the end of the visit.
Prescriptions are available
A common concern from people who want to use an online doctor is about the services available. Patients are worried that they won’t get a complete visit with an online doctor.
Obviously, you won’t be able to take x-rays or other scans with an online doctor visit. If your concern is a broken bone or something else that requires immediate attention with medical equipment, it’s better to come in for an in-person visit with a doctor. However, if you’re looking for a doctor that writes prescriptions and authorizes refills, online doctors can help.
Any doctor’s visit wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t get the treatment you need. Online doctors can write prescriptions for you or your loved ones. They can send your prescription in an email or send it directly to your chosen pharmacy.
Similarly, your online doctor will be able to order lab work or other non-emergent scans so that you only have to make a single trip out of the house when you’re feeling lousy. Patients find that eliminating that extra afternoon at a doctor’s office often makes all the difference.You can just go to one of the locations and get the specific tests done.
Nao Medical’s online healthcare providers can also send in referrals for ultrasounds, mammograms, CT scans and specialist referrals, as needed.
An online doctor can be available anywhere, anytime
Doesn’t it always seem like people start to feel sick at the most inconvenient times? Right before vacation, during a busy shift at work, or in the middle of a huge study session. The thought of interrupting these important days with a trip to the doctor is almost worse than being sick in the first place. With an online doctor visit, you can take your appointment anywhere, anytime.
Schedule your online doctor’s appointment at your most convenient time—whether it is a weekday or a weekend, even holidays—and take it anywhere. No need to rearrange your schedule just to sit in a doctor’s office. It’s the ultimate convenience: technology and healthcare combined.
When is it not a good time to visit an online doctor?
We’ve given you some great reasons to choose an online doctor, but there are some situations where you should definitely see a doctor in-person.
You should always see a doctor in-person when your medical concern is an emergency. Broken bones, persistent pain, especially abdominal pain or heavy bleeding (rectal or vaginal) are all signs that you need to see a doctor immediately and should not schedule an online doctor visit.
Additionally, if you know that you’ll need medical equipment to get the treatment you need, you should plan on seeing a doctor in-person. There is no way for doctors to administer treatment virtually if you require special medical equipment.
Finally, if you don’t have a reliable internet connection or a high-quality webcam, it might be smart to consider an in-person doctor visit. Particularly patients who want a doctor’s opinion on a rash or other skin irritation, a poor-quality camera will make it hard to properly diagnose the problem. Although these days, phones have high-resolution cameras that make it far easier to see and treat medical problems.
For any other medical concerns, an online doctor is just as effective as an in-person doctor. If you’re looking for a more convenient and affordable way to access quality health care services, then consider using an online doctor visit. Book an appointment with a virtual healthcare provider today.
