A new test to detect preeclampsia was just approved by the FDA Read on to learn more about why this is a big deal!
Historically, the United States has more pregnancy-related deaths than other developed nations. And over the last two decades, that number has continued to rise—more than doubling since 1999.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are approximately 17.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, with causes ranging from heart complications like hypertension and preeclampsia to blood loss and post-surgical infections.
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related complication seen after 20 weeks of pregnancy. If a woman has preeclampsia during pregnancy, it usually shows up as high blood pressure (hypertension) and the presence of proteins in the urine.
This life-threatening condition puts both mom and baby at risk. For a pregnant mother, high blood pressure increases the risk of seizures and strokes that can cause permanent brain damage and may lead to death. For babies, this condition increases the possibility of placental abruption or preterm delivery, each coming with its own set of risks.
In the US, 1 in every 25 pregnancies results in a preeclampsia diagnosis–a shocking statistic that continues to increase.
Preeclampsia is diagnosed in pregnant women after 20 weeks gestation who present with hypertension along with at least one of these symptoms:
Regular blood pressure checks during routine prenatal visits is the first step to identify preeclampsia. Women with elevated blood pressure will be monitored more closely to determine individual risk level and treatment options.
When hypertension becomes a complication in pregnancy, doctors often order additional blood or urine tests to check for proteins, platelet counts, and other indicators of abnormal organ function.
Preeclampsia is a serious, life-threatening complication. Since preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related condition, the primary treatment option is to deliver the baby.
However, if the pregnancy is very preterm, early delivery can pose risks to the baby. Treatment plans might include close observation along with symptomatic treatment for preeclampsia to allow the pregnancy to continue.
The common theme with preeclampsia is that it’s not a very specific condition. While high blood pressure is a hallmark symptom, not all hypertensive pregnant women have preeclampsia. Other symptoms include headaches and dizziness, which are also non-specific symptoms of other conditions, including a healthy pregnancy.
Currently, less than 50% of severe preeclampsia cases are identified through traditional testing. For those patients with severe high blood pressure, the urine protein test can increase those odds up to 80%–but that still leaves a pretty big gap.
It’s often up to the keen eye of a watchful doctor and the self-reporting of the patient to raise the warning flag and warrant a closer investigation. However, a new blood test from Thermo-Fisher Scientific is helping provide a clearer picture with an astounding 94% accuracy rate.
A biomarker, or biological marker, is a general label for any biological attribute that can be identified and measured in a biological test of blood, urine, or other specimens. Most often, this is the presence or absence of a substance in the genetic material that indicates normal or abnormal biological function.
This test, specifically, measures a number of placenta-related proteins in the blood, providing results in a ratio format. This test is not a replacement for conventional testing but rather a supplement that helps doctors analyze risk levels for an individual patient.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved this blood test after seeing accurate results from a study of more than 700 patients in 18 separate hospitals. The test can effectively predict the onset of preeclampsia in high-risk patients within a two-week window.
This means the test can help doctors decide when it is safe to discharge pregnant patients hospitalized with hypertension–giving them a reliable tool to know who is safe to go home. This new blood test for preeclampsia is expected to have a positive impact, helping to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the United States.
The new preeclampsia blood test from Thermo-Fisher is a big step in the right direction for reducing the number of deaths from pregnancy-related complications. Many of these deaths result from cardiovascular stress, like pregnancy-induced hypertension. This test now helps doctors be proactive and identify patients who are most at risk of developing the condition.
Telemedicine practices are on the rise, revolutionizing the way healthcare is delivered. However, a recent survey reveals that 55% of physicians find a misalignment between their patients’ expectations and what can be achieved through a virtual care model.
My Virtual Physician (MVP) stands out as an innovator, sharing the belief that virtual care can accomplish more for patients than ever before. While some providers offer a hybrid care model combining virtual and in-person visits, a hybrid model alone may not provide comprehensive care.
Let’s compare My Virtual Physician against Doctor on Demand, another popular telehealth provider, to see where MVP is breaking barriers in virtual healthcare.
Doctor on Demand is an established telemedicine provider offering virtual visits to treat specific conditions for patients. While they offer some primary care services, their scope of services is limited. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of treatment options:
| My Virtual Physician | Doctor on Demand | |
| Allergies | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Earaches | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Cough, Cold, & Flu | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Sinus Infection | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Skin Rashes | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Pediatric Care | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Perinatal Care | ✔️ | ❌ |
| STD | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Women’s Health | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Irregular Periods | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Painful Periods | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Birth Control | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Infertility | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Menopause | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Acne | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Mobile Testing | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Medical Marijuana | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Mental Health | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Specialty Care | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Wound Care | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Chronic Condition Management | ✔️ | ❌ |
Doctor on Demand and My Virtual Physician are both complete care providers offering patients access to urgent care, primary care physicians, and pediatricians for online doctor appointments.
Another similarity between the two virtual providers is the availability of virtual and in-person visits. Doctor on Demand partners with certain facilities and helps patients find physical care providers.
My Virtual Physician, on the other hand, owns two clinics in Las Vegas with a care team employed on-site. They also provide virtual doctor visits to all 50 states offering a range from primary to specialty care physicians.
Doctor on Demand and My Virtual Physician appear to go toe-to-toe on paper until you start reading the fine print. That’s where MVP stands apart. My Virtual Physician is staffed with specialists, including:
And they are working to add even more specialist physicians for patients to have direct access to specialized care without a referral.
As far as pricing goes, Doctor on Demand comes with a bit of sticker shock. For a 15-minute virtual consultation for primary care, patients can expect to pay $79, while a 45-minute consultation with a Psychiatrist is nearly $300.
My Virtual Physician offers patients greater flexibility and a more straightforward pricing model. Visits are broken down into categories of acute, comprehensive, and specialty care. Depending on the nature of your visit, you’ll pay:
Reviews and ratings of telemedicine platforms provide valuable insights into patients’ experiences. Let’s address the elephant in the room between these two platforms. Doctor on Demand has a 1.5 rating on Trustpilot, indicating a significant number of negative experiences reported by users. Common complaints mention:
On the other hand, My Virtual Physician stands in stark contrast, boasting over 100 5-star reviews on Google. These positive ratings signify high satisfaction and appreciation from patients who have received care.
My Virtual Physician is no doubt the forerunner in revolutionizing healthcare through telemedicine, particularly for those in remote situations. They provide a total care approach for individuals with multiple chronic illnesses, using mobile teams of certified medical assistants (MA) and specialty physicians including OBGYNs, pediatricians, internists, and more.
This mobile team coordinates evaluations and consultations using an actual hybrid approach, where a medical assistant travels to the patient’s home with a tablet for video connections with doctors. The MA uses assistive technology to perform physical tasks such as:
Through the power of telemedicine, doctors can directly observe and supervise critical treatments, such as wound care, from the comfort of the patient’s own home. This convenient and inclusive approach breaks barriers ensuring individuals receive comprehensive care and specialized treatments regardless of their circumstances.
Doctor on Demand and My Virtual Physician both offer online telemedicine services, providing a range of treatment options and accessible healthcare services.
While Doctor on Demand caters to non-emergency medical conditions, mental health concerns, and general medical advice, My Virtual Physician takes it a step further by offering a more extensive and specialized approach to care.
The best thing about telemedicine is that patients can reach more providers now than ever possible before. This gives patients the power to choose from more than one provider for their healthcare needs. If you’re ready to check out what My Virtual Physician can do for you, our doctors are standing by to help.
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Pregnancy is a special time in a mother’s life, filled with joy, anticipation, and the wonder of bringing new life into the world. It’s a unique journey that holds the promise of creating a special bond with the unborn child, nurturing the baby’s growth, and preparing for the extraordinary process of childbirth.
During this period, expecting mothers deserve access to comprehensive and compassionate healthcare. But lately, access to prenatal and maternity care has faced some limitations. So, what’s an expecting mother to do when there are no OBGYN specialists staffed at the local hospital?
Limited access to appropriate OBGYN care has dampened this beautiful journey for some pregnant women, particularly in rural communities. Hospital closures have been a subject of concern and discussion for several decades. Still, the facts surrounding labor and delivery are a recent alarm.
In the last decade, over 200 medical facilities have eliminated their labor and delivery units, which has affected nearly 7 million women in the United States. This concerning trend can be attributed to several factors, including:
Regardless of the driving forces behind these decisions for closures, the implications can have severe consequences for expecting mothers and their babies in the affected areas.
While pregnant women may be the first to notice—it’s not just expecting mothers that are affected by the aftermath of labor and delivery unit closures. The change extends beyond mere inconvenience. Let’s look at how the community at large is affected by labor and delivery ward closures in hospitals.
Women with already high-risk pregnancies face additional risks during emergency situations. Longer transport times via ambulance can increase the risks associated with childbirth complications and may contribute to adverse outcomes and potentially life-threatening conditions.
The closure of labor and delivery units can place an increased burden on the remaining healthcare facilities, including hospitals and birthing centers. This strain can result in overcrowding, longer wait times, and compromised quality of care due to overwhelmed healthcare providers.
These closures may be disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals and those without access to reliable transportation. These groups face challenges in accessing appropriate obstetric care and may experience disparities in health outcomes as a result of local facilities closing in their local hospitals.
Telehealth and video appointments have gained significant popularity in recent years, transforming the way healthcare services are delivered. According to a National Health Interview Survey, nearly 40% of the population has used telehealth services in 2021.
Telehealth is the use of digital communication technologies to provide healthcare services remotely. Video appointments are a subset of telehealth and involve real-time communication between patients and physicians without having to physically travel to a brick and mortar location.
Telehealth and video appointments overcome geographical barriers, making healthcare services more accessible to people in remote areas. Patients can receive care and access specialized healthcare services seeking expert opinions and recommendations without the need for extensive travel.
Telehealth allows expecting mothers to receive quality and consistent prenatal care. Virtual doctor appointments for prenatal care enable healthcare providers to monitor pregnancy progress, identify concerns, and provide necessary guidance remotely. Virtual OBGYN appointments offer a significant advantage for women located in maternity deserts.
In cases of obstetric emergencies, telehealth can play a vital role in triaging and initial consultations. Through video appointments, healthcare providers can assess the severity of the situation and determine the need for immediate transfer to an appropriate facility that is equipped to handle emergencies.
While telehealth services offer valuable solutions—such as convenience and ensuring continuity of care, there are some limitations to consider in the context of labor and delivery. These limitations include:
Expecting mothers need to know that they can count on their OBGYN when they need them most. Considering the ongoing nationwide labor and delivery closures, telehealth serves as peace of mind for pregnant women during this unique time. Virtual doctor appointments allow for the opportunity for patients to address prenatal concerns with an online OBGYN while receiving reassurance along the pregnancy journey, despite the local hospital maternity ward closures.
As we navigate the reality of continuing labor and delivery closures, we embrace telehealth as an integral part of comprehensive prenatal care models. Telehealth visits provide access to quality care for all.
My Virtual Physician provides quality healthcare and supports expecting mothers regardless of physical proximity to a labor and delivery unit. If you’re an expecting mother dealing with maternity ward closures at your local hospital, consider your options when it comes to prenatal care and don’t rule out online OBGYN prenatal care. It’s a remarkable journey to bring new life into the world, let us help make it a positive one.
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Is the cost of your doctor appointments always a surprise? To a great degree, patients can feel like the pricing on their medical visits is kept secret until after the appointment—when the bill arrives at their doorstep. Luckily, there’s a way out of the mystery of medical consultation costs.
In this article, we break down different types of healthcare consultations and provide the cost of a typical My Virtual Physician appointment.
Many patients are taking back control of medical billing and saving on medical expenses along the way—through online virtual doctor appointments.
Online virtual doctors often provide more transparent pricing structures than traditional brick-and-mortar healthcare facilities. Instead of depending on insurance alone, telemedicine providers like My Virtual Physician take a different approach. They tend to structure the pricing based on actual time spent with each patient, with lower overhead, meaning less cost for each patient.
With virtual doctors, patients can see the cost of the visit before committing to an online appointment. But not all telemedicine appointments are created equally—some visits are very quick and simple, while others are more complicated.
In order to calculate your out-of-pocket costs for an online consultation at My Virtual Physician, you’ll need to determine the type of visit you need.
There are a few types of consultations that My Virtual Physician offers in their virtual doctor services for the majority of patients. Each type covers different complexities of the physician’s involvement in your care, diagnostics, and treatment plan.
The main appointment types include:
An acute virtual doctor visit covers up to 15 minutes of consultation with your online doctor, and the purpose is to address a single health concern. Typically, these concerns appear suddenly and are not part of ongoing long-term health problems.
Examples of medical conditions or needs that qualify for acute visits include:
Comprehensive visits cover more time-intensive appointments and those with complex health factors, such as long-term management of chronic conditions or diseases, or addressing multiple health concerns.
Chronic conditions are illnesses that have been ongoing or are anticipated to require long-term management (more than six months). Examples of chronic conditions include:
Annual exams and STD screenings are also categorized as comprehensive virtual doctor consultations because, on many occasions, lab work** is ordered—that requires the doctor to dedicate additional time to interpret and communicate the results.
All surgical-related appointments—whether post-surgical or initial surgical consultations—are deemed as a comprehensive visit type My Virtual Physician due to the seriousness and complexities of surgery.
My Virtual Physician began offering a third appointment type in 2023 for patients who want to get a medical marijuana card in their state. This consultation service includes a telemedicine appointment with one of our doctors, completion of a state-specific physician’s certification form, and electronic submission where applicable.
A virtual doctor appointment from My Virtual Physician can cost as little as $49.99 for acute visits, even for uninsured or self-pay patients. If you have insurance, your cost may be even less. And more complicated visits that require ongoing management, labs, and prescriptions, will naturally cost more.
Here’s a recap of the online visit types and costs available at My Virtual Physician:
No. The rates shown above cover the costs of the telemedicine visit only. Any lab work or prescriptions ordered during your appointment are not included in the appointment price since those services are fulfilled by a third party of the patient’s choosing.
*Communication of normal lab results is included in My Virtual Physician’s comprehensive visit fee. However, if you have any abnormal findings, a second comprehensive visit will be required in order to discuss the results and provide a treatment plan.
**Lab work is not included in the appointment consultation fee and is determined between the lab facility and the patient. Medications are also not included and are determined at the pharmacy of the patient’s choosing. Read more about your pharmacy options in our Guide to Self-Pay Prescriptions.
My Virtual Physician wants to help those affected by the recent tragedy in Mississippi.
Our hearts go out to the victims, families, and those affected by the tragic tornadoes in the state. We would like to extend a hand in any way we can by immediately helping increase access to affordable healthcare for those affected by the devastating tornado.
My Virtual Physician is an online healthcare provider with the ability to serve patients across all 50 states. We already have the framework in place to assist patients from across the United States, including Mississippi. Our caring and compassionate virtual doctors are here to meet the medical need in this time of crisis. Our diverse group of board-certified physicians are trained in multiple areas to address a wide range of health conditions.
Our specialists include:
As an established online provider, we’d like to offer our services to those suffering as a result of the tornado by providing round-the-clock medical support to supplement local providers. If you or a loved one has been affected and want the opportunity to be seen by a virtual doctor, My Virtual Physician is here to help.
Our practice is in-network with Mississippi Medicaid. For those without insurance coverage, My Virtual Physician will offer no-cost healthcare to residents who are affected by the tornado over the next 30 days.
Call (888) 224-0804 or schedule an appointment below to get care now. If you wish to take advantage of the free care as a Mississippi resident, be sure to note such in your scheduling details.
In a 21st century world of convenience, we’ve already got the ability to visit with doctors from the comfort of our own homes through telemedicine and virtual visits. But there’s another post-pandemic trend on the verge of emergence in the way that we visit the doctor. Mobile clinics are on the rise.
They’ve already been around for a few decades, but thanks to recently passed legislation—mobile healthcare clinics are about to get an overhaul and become a lot more commonplace, picking up 40% growth since 2019.
Find out what the new law is and how it is slated to impact your healthcare in a great big way!
The MOBILE Health Care Act is a new law (passed in 2022) that makes it easier for Medicaid healthcare providers to use federal funding to purchase and operate mobile clinics. The law was created in order to cut some red tape that previously required a brick-and-mortar facility in the region before federal funding could be used for mobile units. By eliminating the physical location requirement, it’s anticipated to expand healthcare access to harder-to-reach areas like rural communities.
Everyone can benefit from the new law. However, it’s especially exciting for rural communities that have limited options for healthcare. Other groups that will likely experience better access to healthcare include:
It’s important to note that low-income families who depend on Medicaid to pay for medical expenses are often limited by choice. Combining the monetary limitations of only having a small selection of doctors who accept Medicaid with the physical boundaries of rural areas can drastically reduce access to healthcare in these regions. Mobile clinics offer an opportunity to reach more Medicaid patients where they live and work.
My Virtual Physician is excited about the future of healthcare and how the new MOBILE Health Care Act can increase access to patients even further than telemedicine alone. We see a future where these mobile healthcare vans provide easy and convenient access to specialists to all patients—regardless of location, income level, or other circumstances. We understand there are inherent hurdles to overcome with patient access to telemedicine, and we embrace the future of merging telemedicine with mobile healthcare when and where it’s appropriate.
By combining telemedicine services with mobile clinics, patients will be granted access to hundreds of doctors rather than just the ones who are physically aboard the van. Today, technology and new legislation is letting doctors shift to meeting patients more effectively where they’re at rather than the other way around.
The MOBILE Health Care Act takes the future of healthcare a step in the right direction.
The human body miraculously knows just what to do and when to do it.
Your heart beats on its own, your lungs draw in air and push out carbon dioxide without any intentional effort on your behalf, and your food goes through your body, nutrients absorbed, and waste removed without much conscious instruction.
But sometimes, those bodily processes can get out of whack. When there is pain or disruption in automatic functioning like swallowing and digestion, it grabs our attention. Luckily, today’s technology allows doctors to see what’s happening inside the body without the use of a scalpel.
In this blog, we’ll talk about one way to look inside the body called an EGD. Find out:
EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) is a medical procedure used to examine your esophagus, stomach, and part of the small intestine (duodenum). During an EGD, a special tool called an endoscope is used to examine the upper GI tract. An endoscope is a soft, flexible tube with a camera attached to the end.
At the start of the EGD procedure, the endoscope enters the body through the mouth for visual inspection of the upper GI tract. This helps doctors identify any ulcers, irritation, or bleeding that may be the cause of your discomfort. Some endoscopes are even equipped with accessories for collecting biopsies (tissue samples) so that they can be sent to the lab for further analysis.
An EGD can also double as a treatment for some upper GI concerns. Some endoscopes are capable of cauterizing bleeds or removing polyps (small growths) during the procedure.
Since an EGD is a diagnostic procedure, you only need it if you’re having symptoms of an illness in the upper digestive tract. Here are some common problems that warrant a closer look through EGD:
Your doctor will help determine whether an EGD is necessary to diagnose the cause of your discomfort. If you’re experiencing the above symptoms or struggling to manage a digestive condition, My Virtual Physician can help. Reach out to our doctors today for a virtual appointment.
If you’re already scheduled for an EGD, you may be wondering what the experience will be like. We’ll cover that next.
It sounds pretty uncomfortable to have someone poking around inside you with a tube down your throat during the EGD procedure. Luckily, you will be under mild sedation as an outpatient procedure, allowing your experience to be very relaxed and pleasant (but still awake).
Before coming in for your EGD, your doctor will provide instructions to prep for the procedure. It’s very important to avoid eating or drinking before your procedure so that you do not aspirate. Aspiration is when your stomach contents are inhaled into your lungs. Aspiration can lead to very serious health problems like pneumonia or even death.
When you arrive at the clinic or hospital for your EG, here’s what will go down:
If you want to learn more about the endoscopy from a doctor’s perspective while you’re in the procedure room zoned out, check out our Talk Tuesday episode below on EGD:
Immediately after your EGD, you should closely monitor your body for signs of infection, bleeding, or perforation. Since an EGD has an inherent risk of serious complications if the endoscope perforates your upper GI tract, it’s critical to go to the ER (or at least speak with a doctor) if you have any of these serious symptoms after the procedure:
About two weeks after your EGD, you’ll have a follow-up appointment with your doctor to go over the findings. If any biopsies were taken, you’ll get results during your follow-up appointment or sooner. In some cases, your doctor may have been able to treat the cause of your symptoms from the EGD alone. If not, your doctor will make recommendations on the next steps required to restore your health.
If you’re struggling with digestive issues, talk to a specialist at My Virtual Physician for help. Our virtual appointments are easy, affordable, and convenient. And our team of doctors is passionate about helping you get well. We can help you decide whether an EGD is the best route to take or if there are alternative solutions to try first.
Women who have dedicated their lives to medicine may have an unsettling common denominator. Infertility in women is on the rise.
According to the American Medical Women’s Association, studies show that one in four female doctors struggle with infertility—that’s a whopping 25%.
Infertility is a growing problem. In the general population of the US, 19% of couples spend more than a year trying to get pregnant. For female doctors trying to start their families, the problem seems to be exacerbated.
If you’re a physician interested in learning more about your own fertility, we have resources for you. Learn more about fertility in our four-part blog series on testing for fertility indicators. For women working in higher-risk careers, it’s important to be proactive about fertility.
The exact reason that women in medicine face higher infertility rates is not clear. It’s likely a combination of factors. Below, we’ll outline a few likely culprits.
With each menstrual cycle that passes, the chance of getting pregnant decreases. A woman under the age of thirty has a 25-30% chance of pregnancy for each cycle. By a woman’s 40s, her chances of getting pregnant are reduced to 10% per cycle.
It’s well-known that age plays a role in women's fertility. It’s also common knowledge that it takes several years of education, training, and focus to become a doctor. Many women in medicine choose to delay starting a family during the years before becoming licensed to practice. The average age of a woman giving birth is 27, but for women physicians—it jumps up to 32 years old.
Medical school and residency often take up a dozen or so of a woman’s precious child-bearing years. By the time a woman reaches physician status, she’s likely already in her thirties and her ovarian reserve begins diminishing. We encourage women in medicine to see a fertility specialist. This is especially important for women over 30 who are trying for a baby.
It’s simple to see how it happens. Settling down to start a family often gets put on the back burner while your career launches, and before you know it, you’re nearing forty and still without a child. All this time, you may not have considered that your fertility may be compromised.
Related: Infertility: When is it Time to See a Doctor?
Who has time to settle down and find a mate when you’re busy trying to get trained on how to become a doctor? Busy schedules are another common reason that female doctors aren’t having babies as much as their non-physician counterparts. By the time you get back into the dating scene, your fertility has likely already peaked.
Other lifestyle factors that may play a role might include working in high-stress environments (although the relationship between stress and infertility is not well-understood), poor diet, lack of exercise, alcoholism, and more. The answer to the exact cause of the correlation between female physicians and infertility is still being studied.
Recognizing that there is a relationship between career choice and infertility is the first step to being proactive. Women in medicine must be informed that they are embarking on a career choice that could put them at a higher risk of infertility.
Even though women in medicine struggle more than others with infertility, there are proactive steps that can be taken to combat infertility in women.
Below are a few steps you can consider taking now:
If you’re currently struggling to conceive, our online OBGYNs can help with treating infertility.
If you’re a female physician who is concerned about this trend of women's infertility in the profession, My Virtual Physician is in your corner. We’re here to consult with you and provide answers. We can assist with regular fertility testing and our online OBGYNs serve patients in all 50 states.
If you’ve already received a concerning fertility test result, we’re available to consult with you on the best plan of action to move your fertility forward. Online appointments are available now; book your appointment today to meet with our board-certified OBGYNs.
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Everyone needs to see a doctor at some point in their lives. Whether you’re facing an illness, pain, disorder, or just need a medication refill or regular checkup; our society relies heavily upon primary care physicians.
How long has it been since you last saw yours?
It can be a struggle to get an appointment scheduled with your Las Vegas primary care physician (PCP). Waits are long and many doctors aren’t even accepting new patients. One reason for this is that there is a shortage of physicians.
Related: Increasing Access in Las Vegas: Physician-to-Patient Ratio
That may leave you wondering—what can I do to see a Las Vegas doctor sooner? Read on to find out a solution to the doctor access dilemma.
Availability isn’t the only problem that patients face when trying to schedule doctor appointments in Las Vegas. Physical limitations, such as transportation, access to technology, and geographical location, can also hinder access for patients to see their doctors regularly.
A primary care physician, or PCP for short, is a general practitioner who you know as your “go-to” doctor. Any time you have an infection, need medication, or want a consultation, your PCP is probably your initial point of contact.
This type of doctor sees a broad range of patients, in the age ranges of anywhere from children to the elderly, and treats a wide variety of conditions. If you have to manage an ongoing health condition, such as diabetes or asthma, you likely see your PCP more frequently.
While it’s not necessarily required to have a PCP, establishing a relationship with a primary care doctor in Las Vegas can be beneficial for both patients and physicians. That’s because your doctor can get to know you, your health, and you become comfortable with one another to discuss private health matters.
Here’s a list of common conditions or patient needs that most primary care physicians are capable of handling without the need for specialist visits:
But if you can’t get in to see your PCP or get established with a new primary care doctor in Las Vegas, then what can you do?
My Virtual Physician has a new solution to the patient access problem in Las Vegas. Our Las Vegas specialists can provide PCP services online through our hybrid clinic on Paradise Road.
Related: Hybrid Medical Clinics: Expanding OBGYN Access in Las Vegas
This physical clinic solves many problems when it comes to patient access to doctors in Las Vegas.
Can’t get an appointment? No problem, walk-in visits are welcome in our hybrid clinic.
No computer, phone, or internet connection? Our hybrid clinic offers a private room with all the technology already set up for our patients to use.
Need a second opinion? Our professional doctors are available to meet with you today to provide medical advice.
Uninsured? My Virtual Physician offers affordable and transparent pricing on our telemedicine appointments, both in the clinic and online.
Stop waiting for an opening at your traditional doctor’s office. See a doctor today in Las Vegas who can meet your healthcare needs.
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Visiting the doctor can be a frightening experience for children. Even for parents, these appointments can be uncomfortable, time-consuming, and even heartbreaking. Luckily, telehealth is making pediatric check-ups a little less scary.
In this blog, you’ll find out when and how you can conveniently see an online pediatrician—without the tears. As a bonus, if you’re in the Las Vegas area, there’s an alternative way for your child to see a pediatrician virtually inside our walk-in clinic on Paradise Road.
Let’s start with how telemedicine can be a lifesaver when your child is ill.
When your child is sick, all you want is for them to feel better again. Whether your son or daughter is an infant or a teenager, sometimes you need to seek outside help from a pediatrician to see if medication or other treatments are needed to get better.
It’s difficult to watch your child as their little body struggles to fight off an illness. It’s every parent’s worry whether they are doing enough to get their child back to feeling better. This can be especially distressing with newborns, infants, toddlers, and children with special needs who can’t verbally articulate their complaints.
If your child has a troubling cough, spikes a high fever, or has experienced a sprain, cut, or another seemingly minor injury that isn’t going away—you may be wondering whether your child needs more critical medical assistance, such as “convenient-care” or a visit to the ER. It can be a tough call, and an expensive one. If you need help making that decision, our online pediatrician and virtual doctors can help.
Consulting with an online Las Vegas pediatrician can save you time, money, and worry. From the comfort of your own home and for an affordable flat fee, you can set up a virtual visit for your child to be seen by a doctor who can immediately:
Related: The RSV Virus is Spreading in Las Vegas: Should You be Concerned?
Some conditions won’t get better on their own and may require medical intervention and prescriptions. For example, if your child has symptoms of pink eye (conjunctivitis), it may require prescription medication. A doctor can prescribe medications to help clear infections caused by bacteria.
Online pediatricians can treat a range of conditions virtually, including:
The biggest advantage to visiting virtually with your child’s pediatrician is that it can be done from home. Stay home with your child while still receiving professional care and medical advice from a doctor. You can rest easy knowing that you’ve done everything in your power to nurture your child back to health.
Yes, your child can see a pediatrician online for routine visits. Don’t wait until your child is sick to try out a virtual pediatric visit. Children can visit online pediatricians for things like preventive care, routine wellness check-ups, and follow-ups.
Parents can also set up virtual appointments for their child when they want a doctor’s professional advice on things such as their child’s nutrition, behavior, and social and emotional development. In these cases, you can set up online consultations directly with your child’s pediatrician. It has never been more pain-free to see a pediatrician in Las Vegas..or anywhere!
Getting a visit in today with a friendly and compassionate pediatrician who supports telemedicine capabilities—like My Virtual Physician’s Dr. Ayyagari—can help your child feel more comfortable during a sick visit when they aren’t feeling so well.
Alternatively, you can mix virtual care with in-person care for your child. See your local brick-and-mortar pediatrician for milestone visits and vaccinations, and depend on your online pediatrician for more immediate concerns, sick visits, or to gain a second opinion when necessary.
The quickest way to get your child in to see a pediatrician is through a walk-in clinic or online visit.
In 2022, My Virtual Physician opened a new kind of clinic on Paradise Road in Las Vegas—a hybrid clinic. Here, you can physically walk into our brick-and-mortar location for an immediate televisit with a specialist.
You can bring your child into the clinic, have their vital signs measured by our certified medical assistant, and then meet virtually with our pediatrician in a private room where all of the equipment is set up for the telemedicine visit.
Related: Hybrid Medical Clinics: Expanding OBGYN Access in Las Vegas
You can also schedule appointments ahead of time for vaccinations and other care needs that can be met inside our hybrid clinic by a Las Vegas doctor. Our hybrid clinics provide increased access for children and adults alike to see their doctors, without needing any special equipment or internet service.
Forget the anxiety, frustration, and tears that traditional pediatric doctor’s appointments bring. Get established today with our online pediatrician, who can help walk you through your child’s development and medical needs.
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Schedule a virtual appointment to get your child seen by our pediatrician, or walk in with your little one to our clinic on Paradise road to see a Las Vegas doctor today.
Need to see a specialist? Whether you’re looking for a Las Vegas OBGYN or a pediatrician for your child, getting established with a specialist physician can be an intimidating venture.
It used to be a lengthy, expensive, and convoluted process.
Luckily—things have changed. Today, there’s a new path available for patients. Now, you can see a healthcare specialist without the red tape.
More providers are paying attention to the patient experience, and a clear demand has surfaced: patients need easier access to specialists for healthcare. Healthcare specialist appointments must be easily accessible, swiftly scheduled, and transparently priced.
In this blog, we’ll define what specialists are and when you need to see them. And then, we’ll explore the processes required to see a healthcare specialist, both old and new—letting you in on the secret to seeing a Las Vegas Specialist in a snap.
When you call to schedule your appointment for your annual physical or a routine checkup, you’re likely booking with your primary care physician. These doctors can handle a wide range of common medical ailments seen in the general population.
A specialist, on the other hand, is a doctor who has expertise in a particular body system.
For example, an OBGYN specializes in the female reproductive system. Read more about the special care focus of an OBGYN below in the related blog at the link below.
Related: What’s an OBGYN: Get to Know Our Las Vegas Gynecology Team
An ENT doctor specializes in ailments of the ears, nose, and throat. A pediatrician specializes in the healthcare needs of children.
Here are some other specialists found in our healthcare system:
This is just a small selection of the many specialty fields out there in the world of healthcare.
There are many reasons to seek medical care from a healthcare specialist. Here are a few.
If you’re experiencing a chronic medical condition that your primary care doctor is unable to treat, it may be time to see a specialist. For example, if you’ve been asking your regular doctor to help clear up a skin condition, but it doesn’t seem to be improving—a dermatologist, who specializes in skin conditions, may be more qualified to help. Sometimes your doctor will refer you to a specialist; other times, you may need to seek out the specialist yourself.
Primary care physicians (PCPs) are trained to treat a broad scope of conditions that occur in the general population. If you know that you have a condition that is rare or that a specialist is more qualified to treat, then it may be appropriate to book directly with a specialist rather than a PCP. For example, if you have irregular menstrual cycles, an OBGYN or endocrinologist may be better able to pinpoint a care plan than a doctor with general training.
A third reason that patients desire to see a specialist is to find a doctor who is more familiar with treatment options that they have researched. If a primary care doctor is unfamiliar with a treatment that you want to try, seeing a specialist with experience using the treatment is a valid option.
So, now that you know when it’s time to see a specialist—let’s look at how to do it.
First, the long way.
Traditionally, the process of seeing a specialist involved making multiple appointments. Ultimately, your primary care physician was the gatekeeper who decided whether patients were permitted to schedule an appointment with a specialist.
Sometimes, you’d also need to have pre-approval from your insurance company before seeing a specialist. Insurance companies may deny coverage of specialist visits if the proper referral paperwork is not filed by your doctor’s office.
With the traditional method, you had to jump through hoops to see a specialist physician, including:
With the shortage of specialists in the Las Vegas area, seeing an OBGYN or other specialists in the area could take months.
Luckily, there’s a better way!
It’s hard to believe that anyone would follow the long process above to see a healthcare specialist when there’s such a simple shortcut. So, how can you see a specialist physician without jumping through hoops?
Schedule directly with your specialist.
My Virtual Physician wants patients to have access to specialists. That’s why we are here. Our patients have the option to visit with our Las Vegas specialists either online or inside our hybrid clinic located on Paradise Road in Las Vegas.
Our specialists include:
My Virtual physician offers transparent pricing and affordable visits for self-paying patients. Read more about grabbing affordable medications as a self-pay patient below.
Related: Guide to Self-Pay Prescriptions: Get the Best Price on Medications
If you’re located or visiting the Las Vegas area, walk-ins are welcome at our hybrid clinic. At this clinic, you can visit virtually with our specialists inside a private exam room right on the Vegas strip, making seeing a specialist on your own terms as easy as can be.
If you’re ready to book your appointment with one of our specialists, click below to self-schedule or walk into our hybrid clinic for an instant appointment. We look forward to serving you by providing a positive patient experience.
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You’ve been planning this vacation for months and now you’ve arrived—you finally made it to Vegas! Now, the fun begins…
You’re full of excitement and ready to experience the Vegas strip and have some fun! But there’s one detail that you probably didn’t plan out while you were booking tickets, packing your bags, and making your way to Nevada.
That detail is this—what to do if you need to see a doctor while you’re on vacation.
If you’re insured, seeing an out-of-state doctor may mean that you’ll face steep out-of-network charges that don’t count toward your regular deductible. If you’re uninsured, you might get stuck with hefty out-of-state medical bills.
If you’ve just arrived at your hotel in Las Vegas and realized you need to see a doctor ASAP, here’s what to do in order to see a doctor quickly and affordably so that you can turn your focus back to enjoying your vacation.
Before making any decisions, just pause for a moment. Focus on the reason that you need to see the doctor. If it’s because you forgot your medications at home, then write down the medications that you need refilled in Las Vegas to cover you during your vacation.
On the other hand, if you’re having indications of an illness that requires medication for you to feel better, write down your symptoms and how long you’ve had them. Some common illnesses that pop up during vacation include UTIs and bacterial infections.
If you feel a urinary tract infection (UTI) coming on or you are experiencing a sudden and extreme sore throat, write down your answers to the following questions:
In many cases, you’ll continue to feel miserable until you get antibiotics to fight the infection if it’s caused by bacteria. Tracking your symptoms as soon as you notice them can help you evaluate whether things are getting worse.
Related: What To Do If You Are Traveling With a UTI on Your Road Trip to Las Vegas
Take an account of the facts and assess the urgency of your situation before reacting. Once you’ve got your troubles documented, you can make an informed decision on whether or not you need to see a doctor.
The next step before taking action is to figure out the best type of doctor that can help you. A general practitioner can handle many common health concerns. But local doctors probably won’t have an opening for months and an urgent-care clinic staffed with general practitioners might cost you a small fortune in medical bills.
If your medical need requires a specialist, how can you find one in Vegas? Specifically, can you find an OBGYN in Las Vegas? OBGYNs specialize in the female reproductive system and cover anything from contraceptive prescriptions to menstrual problems and infertility. Read more about what conditions OBGYNs treat.
Once you’ve narrowed down whether it’s a general practitioner or a specialist that you need to see, you can start looking for a doctor or clinic. The two main places to look are in-person clinics in Las Vegas or online.
Telemedicine has provided greater access to healthcare and specifically, to specialists. Today, you can see a doctor in minutes rather than months. Searching for a provider online (who is licensed to practice in Nevada) can be one of the simplest solutions to finding a provider while traveling.
Online providers also tend to be more self-pay friendly. Since insurance companies don’t typically cover out-of-network providers, going online can be an affordable alternative. You’ll find a wide selection of specialists online who are taking new appointments.
Related: What to Expect During an online OBGYN Las Vegas Appointment
If you prefer a brick and mortar visit to the doctor without breaking the bank, My Virtual Physician has created a hybrid clinic to meet that need. Located on Paradise Road in Las Vegas, this clinic offers televisits for walk-ins and same-day appointments. Appointments are available for a flat, affordable price. Get back to the fun after stopping by the hybrid clinic on Paradise Road.
Our hybrid clinic is staffed virtually with a variety of physicians and specialists (including pediatricians and OBGYNs) to help you get feeling better faster.
If you’ve been prescribed medication during your hybrid or telemedicine visit, picking it up is also a simple process. You’ll need to find a Las Vegas pharmacy that is nearby so that you can get your prescription right away. There are several pharmacies within walking distance of our hybrid clinic where your doctor can send your prescription to be filled.
For help finding the most affordable local pharmacy, check out our guide to self-pay prescriptions below.
Related: Guide to Self-Pay Prescriptions: Get the Best Price on Medications
My Virtual Physician is proud to provide greater access to doctors and specialists, particularly in the Las Vegas area with our hybrid clinic on Paradise Road. Our board-certified Las Vegas team of OBGYNs, pediatricians, and other specialists are here to help if you find yourself needing to see a doctor urgently while on vacation in Las Vegas or elsewhere.
Walk into our hybrid clinic today or schedule your online appointment now by clicking below.
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Need to get in to see your OBGYN?
There are a lot of reasons to see your OBGYN, including getting contraceptive refills, screenings, and care for menstrual concerns, infertility, menopause, sexual health, urinary problems, and pregnancy.
For most women, scheduling a gyno appointment comes with a feeling of dread. But this Las Vegas OBGYN clinic is making life easier than ever for women in the big city.
Find out how you can see your gynecologist in a matter of minutes, right here in Vegas.
There’s a lot that can get out of whack with a woman’s body if left untreated. Here’s a quick list of signs that will grab your attention until treated. Do not delay your visit to the gynecologist if you have any of the following issues:
Related: Our Las Vegas OBGYNs Cure Your Bacterial Vaginosis Fast
These are all signs that you need to see your OBGYN urgently. But how can you make that happen?
Here’s the secret to getting your OBGYN appointment quicker: forget the traditional appointment model.
In the past, seeing your gynecologist was something that had to be planned well in advance. First, you’d have to get established with a brick-and-mortar healthcare facility before you were allowed to see a specialist at all.
Next, you’d have to call and schedule an appointment. It’s not unusual for specialists like OBGYNS to be booked out for months—especially in Las Vegas. If you’re lucky, your gynecologist might try to squeeze you in between patients if you have an urgent need. But you’ll probably be waiting around for hours to be seen.
So, what’s a girl to do? There’s got to be a quicker way for getting in to see a Las Vegas OBGYN. Luckily, there is.
Telemedicine is paving the way for quicker access to your doctor, bypassing the dreadful waiting that accompanies traditional appointments.
Thanks to the increasing availability of telemedicine, you can now see your doctor in a less traditional way: online. And it’s not just your primary care physicians that have moved their practices into the digital space. Specialists, including obstetricians and gynecologists, are making appointments accessible to patients online.
There’s no denying that telemedicine is increasing access to care exponentially. Now, you can see your Las Vegas OBGYN on your terms and from the comfort of your own home. In the digital realm, doctors are able to reach more patients, spread the demand for care over a wider supply of physicians, and complete appointments from start to finish more efficiently. It’s a win-win situation.
Related: Telemedicine Improves Access to Prenatal Care, But Can We Improve Access to Telemedicine?
But beaming up your doctor on your smartphone or computer doesn’t work for everyone. And for those patients who prefer to come into a physical facility, My Virtual Physician is providing an alternative called a hybrid clinic.
My Virtual Physician has opened a new type of healthcare facility. Their hybrid clinic, located on Paradise Road in Las Vegas, provides patients a way to virtually meet with an OBGYN, pediatric, or primary care physician on a walk-in basis.
Inside the clinic, you’ll find a certified medical assistant who will walk you through the steps to visit virtually with our doctors in a private room. Our assistant can also measure your vitals during your visit. Ultrasounds and other specialist appointments can also be scheduled ahead of time at the hybrid clinic.
My Virtual Physician is making Las Vegas OBGYN care more accessible to patients in the city who prefer a healthy mix between traditional visits and speed. Visit us today for a transparently affordable visit with our specialists.
Holiday traditions encourage families to get together to celebrate with distant relatives—including aunts, uncles, grandparents, and in-laws. This is an opportunity to catch up with one another and find out how everyone in your family has been doing since you were last together.
Family get-togethers are also a suitable occasion to recognize when something isn’t quite right. This season provides a short window of opportunity for intervention when someone is crying out for help from elder abuse.
In this article, we aim to spread awareness about elder abuse during this holiday season by covering:
Elder abuse is when a trusted caregiver knowingly or negligently takes advantage of an elder—it can include physical or sexual abuse—or take another form, such as:
The elderly tend to be more vulnerable to abuse than other adults. That’s because there is a gradual decline in physical strength and mental acuity as we age. Many of our elders also depend on caregivers to help with day-to-day functioning.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as many as one in ten adults over the age of 60 may become a victim of elder abuse. And only around 1 in 23 cases of elder abuse are reported to authorities. With such a high incidence, it’s critical to know what to look for to spot elder abuse.
Doctors often screen for signs of elder abuse during regular visits, and the ACOG recommends that OBGYNs screen all patients over the age of 60 for signs of abuse.
But doctors are not the only ones who can recognize the signs of abuse. When you meet with your loved ones this holiday season, look deeper at any red flags that grab your attention.
For example, if your grandpa shows up to Christmas dinner with teeth missing from his dentures and unkempt hair, you might begin to look for other signs that he is not receiving proper care. If your aunt, who takes care of grandpa, has a shiny new car out of the blue and a bad attitude toward grandpa—that’s worth investigating further.
Here are some other signs to look out for:
If you notice any of these signs, it’s worth investigating whether your family member has become a victim of elder abuse. Talking to your loved one directly about the red flags may not be enough to get them the help they need—so what can you do to get real help if you suspect elder abuse?
Our elders deserve protection. If you suspect elder abuse, the best course of action is to report it to authorities, who are trained to investigate this type of situation. You can report suspected abuse to a number of agencies, including:
The National Center on Elder Abuse website has state-specific resources for you to contact the right professionals in order to get help in your region.
If you’re not sure whether your loved one is suffering from abuse, you can encourage your elder to see his or her doctor, who will do an elder abuse screening. Physicians are mandated reporters, which means that they must report suspected abuse to authorities.
Sadly, elder abuse is not an uncommon occurrence. But the good news is that everyone has the ability to do their part to help stop the abuse. Simply reporting any suspicions to the proper authorities may be enough to put an end to elder abuse.
My Virtual Physician prioritizes protecting vulnerable populations and can help with the reporting process. Contact us today if you or a loved one needs help.
Virtual doctors are making waves. Atlanta Medical Center (AMC) in Atlanta, Georgia, has closed its doors to two facilities this year, including the most recently closed downtown location. According to Wellstar, the organization that ran these hospitals, the closures are caused by a lack of revenue, a side effect of rising inflation.
Atlanta isn’t the only community affected by this trend. Even rural hospitals have seen an increase in facility closures. Are virtual doctors the solution or the cause?
Read below to find out how virtual doctors are changing healthcare.
Telemedicine exploded during and after the pandemic. A new way to see your doctor on-screen became the norm. And it stuck. Here are a handful of reasons that virtual doctors are now preferred by patients over in-person visits, leaving hospitals and other in-person medical facilities hanging.
Getting into your doctor for a preventative visit or even to solve a new health problem used to take an excessive amount of time.
First, you had to wait on hold to get an appointment, then you had to wait weeks or months for an opening, then you had to commute to the appointment, and when you finally arrived at your scheduled time—you had to wait a little longer until your doctor was ready to see you. That’s a lot of waiting.
Luckily with the recent developments in telemedicine, most of this waiting process has been completely eliminated. No waiting on hold for scheduling, you can get in the same day to see a doctor, and there’s no commute or waiting room to waste your time with.
Telemedicine solves the dilemma of delayed treatment. Telehealth provides an avenue for patients to be seen by doctors and specialists faster than ever before, which means—patients get faster treatment. Today, conditions get treated before they ever have time to fester into major health concerns that require hospitalization.
It’s safe to say that telemedicine cuts down on the need to hospitalize.
Every patient deserves access to medical care. Relying on the outdated infrastructure of brick-and-mortar buildings to meet the entire nation’s medical needs is no longer feasible. Especially when the technology exists to move certain care needs to the digital realm.
Stepping up to the plate, virtual doctors are here to help ease the demand on physical facilities so that they can serve their populations more effectively.
Telemedicine helps by spreading the load of care needs over a larger pool of providers. When a substantial portion of preventative care visits and other types of appointments that don’t require in-person exams can be transitioned online, it makes healthcare more accessible.
Additionally, virtual doctors open doors for access to patients who are affected by hospital or facility closures in their local communities. Physical distance is no longer an obstacle to overcome when it comes to getting medical care for non-emergency situations.
Related: Telemedicine Improves Access to Prenatal Care, But Can We Improve Access to Telemedicine?
When it comes to answering the question posed at the top of this article, the answer is a little bit of both. While telemedicine certainly shifted patients out of hospitals, that’s not a bad thing. Hospitals can now focus on scaling down operations and focusing only on the emergency needs, such as surgical procedures, while leaving preventative and other simple appointments to virtual doctors.
While telemedicine is certainly not the only cause, it has played a part in the shift away from brick-and-mortar facilities. As far as being the solution to hospital closures, virtual doctors certainly proved their value during the pandemic. Telemedicine is here to stay by popular demand and will become the solution for patients who need to see a provider but have no nearby facility available.
Our virtual doctors serve patients in all 50 states. Whether you need to see a primary care physician or a specialist, we’re here to help. Our mission is to provide access to healthcare. If your community recently experienced a shut down of a medical facility or you’ve heard rumblings of disruption, get established with our online doctors today so that you can always get care when the need arises.
