In light of the crisis known as COVID 19, Simpson County physicians, urgent care and after hour clinics now offer a new service to their patients via telephone or video chat, together known as telehealth or telemed.
Patients phone in as usual to book an appointment; however, rather than actually coming in to the office, staff determines if the visit can be handled by phone or, if the patient desires, by a video teleconference. Office visits are only scheduled if absolutely necessary.
To utilize most video conferencing features, patients will need an email address along with a smart phone, tablet or computer equipped with a camera and microphone. Patients are given a set appointment time just as if going to the doctor’s office. Then, they are instructed to either log in to their email account, call the physician’s office, or they will receive a call from the physician’s office before the appointment to make connection. From that point, doctor and patient connect virtually and the appointment begins.
Some patients prefer to simply talk over the phone and that, too, is an option. The same steps are followed, setting up the appointment and either the office calls the patient or vice versa.
Individuals should contact their local healthcare providers to see if they offer virtual doctor’s visits. Many do.
Magee Urgent Care on Highway 49 South also offers virtual visits 24/7 by booking online at Maxemurgentcare.com. Fast Pace Urgent Care in Magee has added behavioral health care telemed visits as well.
These visits are treated the same as any office visit, requiring payment and/or insurance filing. Patients are urged to check with their insurance company to establish whether it is participating in telemed services.
Local health care providers ask that if any of their patients are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID 19, they call first before going to the office.
