Over the past year, the pandemic has forced some big changes in the world of medicine, making telehealth more widely available. Although the pandemic is continually shifting, it looks like the telehealth expansion is here to stay. If you want to join the World Wide Web of Wellbeing, here are seven important ways to get treatment at home.
1. Set Up Your Patient Portal
To improve your at-home healthcare options, familiarizing yourself with your patient portal is an absolute must. That’s where you’ll find an online doctor of any kind, from your primary care provider to a specialist. To access your portal, you will need to follow these steps:
- Find your insurance company or medical provider’s login page, either by calling them or performing a Google search.
- Have your patient ID or health record number ready.
- Create an account that includes a user ID and password.
- Login for the first time.
- Navigate to your dashboard or home page. This will typically include a place for appointments, pharmacy, visit summaries, and more.
Not everyone has their own phone or computer from which they can conduct healthcare, of course, so you may need to get creative. You might borrow a family member’s device or find a secluded corner of the library and pop in headphones. Or you could use a work tablet on your lunch break (with permission). As long as you have a bit of privacy and an internet connection, your “at-home” visit will work.
2. Utilize Telehealth Visits
Telehealth was already growing in popularity before the pandemic made it a must for so many. Whereas only 35 percent of hospitals had a telehealth program in 2010, a full 76 percent participated by 2017. Today, it’s the perfect answer for people who:
- Live in healthcare deserts
- Can’t get time off for doctor visits
- Don’t have a car or live in a transportation desert
- Don’t have the money for transportation
Instead of foregoing healthcare, now you can get a visit from home by screen. Create appointments through your portal, then meet with doctors without going anywhere. Copays are the same price as when you go in, usually around $20 or $25.
3. Schedule Test Interpretations and Diagnoses by Zoom
Another reason to see an online doctor from home is to get test results. Most of us don’t understand diagnostics and panels without help, so we need medical advice for the next steps. Simply schedule a visit when bloodwork or scans come in so you can learn what it means moving forward.
4. Follow Through with Remote Patient Monitoring
Sometimes your online doctor will recommend remote patient monitoring, or RPM. While this can take many forms, the process typically involves equipment of some kind, such as:
- Blood pressure cuffs
- Pulse oximeters
- Glucose meters
- Scales
… and other devices. These allow you to take measurements and submit them seamlessly to a provider. They then read the measurements and decide whether/when intervention is needed, all without you paying additional costs for a visit.
5. Take Advantage of Mail Order Pharmacies
What once seemed like the future is now a daily reality for millions of Americans and people around the world: mail-order meds. That’s right, now you can sit back and have your pharmaceuticals delivered to your front door. A wide array of healthcare providers now participate in these programs. That makes it easy for you to find an online doctor who does.
Even controlled substances are allowed through the mail. However, they “have special mailing requirements because of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which regulates the manufacturing, importation, and distribution of Schedule I, II, III, IV, and V drugs,” explains SingleCare. Luckily, “Mail order pharmacies can mail controlled substances as long as they’re labeled per federal and state regulations.”
6. Use Remote Mental Health Services
Zoom and phone are both great ways to get mental healthcare too. As the pandemic showed us, mental health is a fragile thing for most people. If you’ve experienced a downtick in your ability to regulate your emotions or get through the day, get help. Many insurance providers now cover this. If yours doesn’t, look for an online provider who will.
Be aware that even if you and your psychiatrist or counselor are using an informal type of communication such as a phone, they are still required to bill using a specific system. If you can’t make the visit, expect to pay a late fee. That goes for all remote health options with a scheduled date and time.
7. Get In-Home Health Care
Sometimes it’s not just inconvenient or costly to travel. Sometimes you simply can’t. In this case, the best home health care for you might be actual in-home care. Most insurance companies cover nursing for those who are disabled or suffering from a chronic condition. You can pair physical visits from a doctor or nurse with telehealth appointments for full coverage.
The exact nature of your at-home care will depend on your needs, including:
- What disabilities or conditions you suffer from
- How capable you are of meeting basic daily requirements, like bathing and eating
- Your access to transportation
- Whether you have the help of friends and family
Why Get Health Treatment from Home?
Healthcare is a human right, but that doesn’t mean it’s particularly accessible to all humans. If you want more frequent, higher-quality health care, figuring out how to get it from home is a smart first step. And finding a company that will help you do just that is critical.
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