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Telemedicine provides a convenient way to get the care you need without traveling to the doctor or specialist you need. Virtual care, or Telehealth, has been around for a while, but recent changes in healthcare have caused telemedicine services to surge.
In the past, telemedicine visits were used primarily as urgent care encounters. If you had symptoms of a cold, you could chat with a Tel-a-doc and maybe get antibiotics.
Today, telemedicine services have expanded. And patients can see their telemedicine doctor for gynecologic, primary, and even wound care. In this post, we will look at how telemedicine has become a solution for patients with chronic or non-healing wounds by answering these questions.
Read on to learn more about telemedicine as a wound care solution.
Telemedicine is a healthcare delivery model that involves virtual consultations between patients and physicians, using online tools such as video conferencing, virtual examination rooms, and remote medical devices.
In many situations, telemedicine is ideal for individuals with wounds.
Those injured or struggling with chronic wounds may not feel like leaving home. Or they may be physically unable to leave home without assistance.
Often their caregivers work and cannot take time from work for frequent doctor appointments. Also, depending on where an individual lives, there may not be a wound specialist in the area. If there is a local certified wound care expert, they may have limited availability.
So, wound care appointments may be difficult to get.
Telemedicine providers with specialized training and certification in wound care can save patients and their families frequent trips to their doctor or wound clinic. Telemedicine for wound care is efficient. Doctors can conduct virtual visits, see the wounds, and make treatment recommendations through video.
Telemedicine also lets patients have virtual follow-up conversations with their doctors and send images when the wounds change.
Telemedicine decreases costs by reducing the need to travel long distances to the hospital or to consult with a physician. It improves the quality of life for patients with chronic wounds while maintaining high standards of wound care.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and private insurers have expanded coverage for telemedicine services, including wound care.
That is good news for patients with wounds who need to see a specialist. In many cases, your health insurance will cover the cost of your virtual visit and wound care supplies that your provider orders.
Your insurance may cover a virtual doctor visit for treatment if you have:
You can check with your insurance company to find out what they will cover or talk with a telemedicine provider and have them verify your insurance coverage before making an appointment.
Wound care specialists provide a variety of services through telemedicine. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Telehealth services are especially helpful for monitoring and improving ongoing health issues, like chronic wounds.
A telemedicine wound care specialist can evaluate and treat wounds virtually by:
These services help patients get the right treatment to heal the wound quickly and return to normal lives.
Telemedicine specialists also coordinate your care with your other doctors or home health.
There are many advantages of using telemedicine wound care services, including:
It’s easy to see why telemedicine wound care services are growing.
While there are numerous benefits of telemedicine for patients, primary among them is the ease of convenience and the ability to access quality care fast. Wound care services provided through telemedicine are a great example of a wound care solution that is helping many individuals get the care they need.
If you have a skin wound that needs medical attention, talk with the My Virtual Physician team to find out if their telemedicine wound care services are right for you.
Contact us now for your low-cost appointment that your insurance may cover!
