Are you aware that you can receive diagnosis and treatment of vascular and heart problems from the comfort of your home? This has been made possible by telehealth, where various adverts have been written to help you know that through it, various medical services can be offered to you without you traveling. That is why a team of board-certified cardiologists provides telehealth in Bakersfield to ensure services are provided to you while at home, thus saving your time and energy.
What is telehealth?
It refers to a branch of medicine that incorporates modern technologies, including computers, smartphones, web cameras, and tablets, to exchange medical information in a private and secure online environment. Telehealth services typically first became available about forty years ago where it was using closed-circuit television. And over the past decades, these services have become popular due to improved internet access and other wireless technologies.
What are the benefits of telehealth?
Generally, telehealth has various advantages over traditional in-office appointments because it enables you to meet with a qualified and experienced cardiologist from the comfort of your own home. Additionally, it saves your time to hustle in traffic fights or sit in a waiting room, exposing you to other sick people. Similarly, telehealth makes it possible for busy parents and professionals who have kids at home or disabled loved ones, or the elderly to receive treatment without making additional arrangements. And if you are also living in a rural area, telehealth also offers you an opportunity to meet with specialists you cannot reach.
What services can telehealth provide?
Typically telehealth is versatile. The health care team in the facility can diagnose vascular, heart, or leg issues, review the results of vascular tests or diagnostic imaging, answer questions or concerns, develop a customized treatment plan, and monitor your treatment progress. Additionally, the team can also use telehealth appointments to refer you to a specialist in the area for more customized care or additional tests if at all it is necessary.
What happens during a telehealth appointment?
In most cases, you cannot have two telehealth appointments that are exactly alike because each appointment is set to address a certain concern. Similarly, the format of your consultation also depends on your personal goals and health history. Usually, your appointment starts with a discussion of your symptoms and lifestyle. It is during this part of your appointment that you are expected to be open and honest. You should let your provider know if you drink alcohol or smoke, if you take a balanced diet, or if you usually take part in regular exercises. Additionally, you should also notify your provider about any prescription medications, nutritional supplements, or vitamins you might be taking.
Once your health care provider has gathered the above information, they might ask you a series of questions. In other situations, they might require you to point your tablet, web camera, or smartphone to the areas of concern like a slow-healing wound, leg-ulcer, or clusters of varicose veins. And if your appointment is to discuss diagnostic imaging results or vascular tests, the images are usually shared digitally by your provider, and they are also explained in detail. Typically, most telehealth consultations usually last for approximately forty-five to sixty minutes.
In summary, if you are interested in learning more about telehealth, call or visit the Heart Vascular and Leg Center today.