By Sydney Meyer, M.S. Ed.
Ever since March 2020 (what huge, life-changing thing happened that month?!), healthcare workers have made the switch to offering more telehealth options for patients. There are all kinds of video call services (Zoom, Skype, Facetime, etc.) and traditional phone call options to choose from.
Here at Quincy Medical Group, we utilize a secure system called Doxy for providers to meet with their patients virtually and offer all kinds of services. If the patient has a telehealth appointment, they can choose to receive a link via text message or via email that the provider sends and the patient simply clicks on to log in to the appointment. From there, the patient waits in a virtual waiting room until the provider starts the call. Another option is for the patient to get in the virtual waiting room by typing in the web browser name and putting the provider’s name following. For example, www.doxy.me/enterprovidernamehere
Technology is pretty cool, huh? That doesn’t mean telehealth is best for every patient, though.
Have you wondered if telehealth is right for you? There are many reasons that patients choose to do telehealth over in-person for health services. Check out the following list to see if you are someone who would be a good fit for telehealth services.
Good internet connection
As someone who grew up in the middle of nowhere (really, I had 30 people in my high school class), I know what it is like to have no internet connection when you need it the most. It is important that you are in an area with good internet service that you can connect to for the call. I’m sure we all can relate to the frustration of trying to call someone and it cutting out because of the poor signal. As providers, a call that is cutting in and out is the last thing we want for our patients because we want to make sure you are feeling heard and are quite literally being heard.
No distractions or limited distractions
No distractions? Never heard of it. Squirrel!
It is important to try your best to make sure you are in a quiet place with no distractions. As much as I love seeing cute dogs when I video call someone, what if your dog’s least favorite mail carrier comes by and rings the doorbell? It is better for telehealth sessions that you are in a calm, peaceful area where you can stay focused on the session (instead of the juice your kids just spilled on the carpet or the neighbor starting up the lawnmower.)
Private location
Imagine you are discussing a fight you had with someone important in your life with your counselor, while they are on the other side of the wall and can hear you. You want to be somewhere that is private so that you can be fully open and honest without being worried about anyone overhearing what you are talking about.
Far commute
Getting to appointments be difficult for some individuals because they live too far away from one of our campuses. If you don’t have time in your day to drive a longer distance, then try signing up for a telehealth counseling session. Hey, I know sometimes I just want to stay at home — even if where I am going is only five minutes away.
Important note: Make sure you inform your provider of your location because certain providers can’t see patients out of the state of Illinois.
Difficulty with transportation
For various reasons, some individuals struggle with finding transportation to their appointments. It could be that they don’t have a car or their car is getting repaired, for example. No matter the reason, telehealth could be a good fit until you have reliable transportation to get to an in-person appointment.
Insurance Coverage
The insurance coverage you have makes a difference in what type of services would be covered for you. Make sure to check to ensure that your insurance covers your appointment type.
Rare occasions (snow days) – Midwest weather
One positive about telehealth counseling is you can switch it up. If you prefer to meet in person most of the time, but you’d like to switch to a telehealth appointment for a special occasion, that’s okay. As we know, living in the Midwest leads to unpredictable weather. (I remember driving back to college one Easter in a terrible snowstorm). You may just be out of town on vacation or at home sick or even quarantined and need to change your appointment format. Telehealth can be flexible and can work for people with all kinds of schedules to meet each patient’s unique needs.
The bottom line: Honestly, if you think you are a good fit, just try it. Telehealth counseling has been shown to be just as effective as face-to-face counseling. Even though telehealth usage increased because of COVID-19, there are still other great reasons to be a telehealth patient apart from the pandemic. Research shows that telehealth will continue to grow and become more popular even far after the pandemic is done – which is hopefully very, very soon.
Stay safe and do what is best for you to get the help you need.
To learn more about Behavioral Health services at QMG, visit https://quincymedgroup.com/medical-services/behavioral-health/.