About Telemedicine
WHAT IS TELEMEDICINE?
Telemedicine (also sometimes called telehealth) services are a way to deliver healthcare services locally to a patient when the healthcare provider is located at a distant site. Telemedicine is generally defined as the use of electronic information and communications technology to exchange medical information from one site to another site to provide medical or surgical treatment to a patient and/or to participate in the medical diagnosis of, or medical opinion or medical advice to, a patient.
When a healthcare provider believes a patient may benefit from the use of telemedicine services, telemedicine can maintain a continuity of care with the provider and facilitate patient self- management and caregiver support of the patient. Telemedicine services often provides a broader access to medical care, eliminates transportation concerns, and increases comfort and familiarity for patients and their families when located in their own homes or other local environments.
However, telemedicine uses new communications technology for which there is little research supporting its effectiveness. For example, telemedicine services may not be as complete as in- person healthcare services because the healthcare provider will not always be able to observe subtle non-verbal communications such as a patient's posture, facial expression, gestures, and tone of voice.
Telemedicine may transfer medical information through the use of interactive, real-time audio/visual technology (for example, video conferencing) or electronic data interchange (for example, computer-to-computer exchanges), or it may transfer medical information through the use of store-and-forward technology (for example, emails). While precautions are taken to secure the confidentiality of telemedicine services, the electronic transmission of medical information can be incomplete, lost or otherwise disrupted by technical failures. Additionally, despite such measures, the transmission and storage of medical information can be accessed by unauthorized persons, causing a breach of the patient's privacy.
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TELEMEDICINE HAS ARRIVED
March 18. 2020
last updated Aug 17, 2020
To our patients:
Telemedicine is a platform that connects patients to their pediatricians via a live video call. In keeping with the rules of social distancing, which are designed to decrease the spread of COVID-19, we feel it is necessary to find alternatives to office visits. We really believe that there is no true substitute for an in person visit with your doctor, including a physical examination, but in these unusual times, video consults will be a good option for certain medical problems. As always, we want to provide the best care to your family, so we are adding this service, which will allow us to listen to your problem, see your child on the screen, and give you the best possible medical advice, while limiting your exposure to Coronavirus.
Telehealth appointments may be useful for different areas of pediatric medicine, including, but not limited to:
Visual Diagnoses Counseling Acute Diagnoses
Pink eye Sleep Training Vomiting
Rashes Breast Feeding Diarrhea
Cuts Behavior Mild respiratory symptoms
Trauma Discipline
Nutrition
ADHD medication checks
As always, if it is medically indicated that your child come to the office or if you would just feel better to have your child seen in person by a doctor, you will, of course, be given an appointment in the office. On some occasions, telehealth will be a good choice. We will try to accommodate your preference.
Call our office to schedule a telehealth call.
Wash your hands as much as possible, keep your hands away from your face and practice social distancing.
Stay healthy.
These visits will be by appointment only. You can make an appointment by calling the office. Please do not try to make an appointment on the platform. Telemedicine visits will be billed in the same manner as regular office visits. Deductibles and copayments will still apply.