Visiting the doctor used to be a painful process, both literally and figuratively. Especially if you need to visit an emergency room, you could be waiting for hours. You might be forced to skip a whole day’s work if you got sick on a particularly busy day. Seeing an online doctor is a great way to get the care you need at little hassle. A virtual doctor can you give you high-quality care right from the comfort of home or anywhere.
All of that is changing with new online doctor visits. An online doctor can provide the kind of personalized care you expect from your traditional appointments with a doctor, without all the hassle. Your online doctor at Statcare is able to do everything from write prescriptions to answer all of your questions and you never have to leave your house.
Some patients have been nervous to try our online doctor (telehealth) service. They’re worried the quality of care might slip or that they won’t be able to get the treatment they need. But, telehealth is very effective. And, we’re always here to ease all your anxieties about online doctor visits. Here are six incredible reasons to choose an online doctor visit over an in-person appointment.
The convenience of Online Doctor Visits
The biggest benefit of an online doctor appointment versus a traditional appointment is the convenience. Online doctor visits can be done on your schedule. We know how valuable your time is and we don’t want you wasting it on travel time or waiting time, especially when you’re sick. With an online doctor, just set up the time for your appointment and make sure you are connected to wifi during that time. You can dial into your appointment using your smartphone or laptop.
Online doctor visits are also convenient if you simply cannot get out of bed when you’re feeling ill. Patients find it especially helpful to schedule an appointment with an online doctor if they’ve got symptoms of the flu that make them lethargic and exhausted. It should be noted that if your symptoms are severe, you should go to the emergency room as soon as possible. But if you don’t think it’s an emergency and would simply rather take advantage of the convenience of online doctor visits and stay home for your appointment.
Receive Undivided Attention from Your Online Doctor
Doctors are busy people. With an online doctor, you don’t have to worry about competing for your doctor’s attention. For the entirety of your appointment, your doctor will give you his or her undivided attention. No interruptions, no excusing themselves from your room while they tend to another patient down the hall. You have time to ask all the questions you want, plus follow-up questions for anything you’re confused about. Your online doctor will stay focused on your concerns until your appointment is finished.
Your online doctor can suggest scans, blood work and even write prescriptions just like an in-person visit, so spend some time getting all the information you need from him or her.
Avoid Contact With Other Sick Patients
More than feeling like they’re wasting valuable time, the waiting room bothers patients because it exposes them to other sick people. At an urgent care, we try to offer face masks for cough, antibacterial gel to sanitize hands and encourage people to use all the regular health precautions, but there’s no getting around sick individuals when you’re in a doctor’s waiting room esp. when the flu season is in full force.
With an online doctor appointment, you get to skip the unpleasant nature of the waiting room. You keep your illness contained to your home and you aren’t risking catching a different illness from someone else. While there are times that you cannot avoid seeing a doctor in-person, we’ve found that our patients love the option to schedule an online doctor visit.
Just remember that unlike an urgent care center, you’ll have to schedule an online doctor visit in advance — you won’t be able to just show up and wait in line. Some prior planning is involved with seeing an online doctor, but it’s well worth it. Plus, with Statcare, patients can schedule same-day appointments within the hour, if time is available.
Your Online Doctor Visit Can Be More Affordable
There are costs associated with an online doctor, as with all doctor visits. The difference is there is only the cost of the appointment, rather than additional costs that come with in-person doctor’s visits. Many of the people who visit urgent care do so at the expense of a day’s work. Although Statcare works to keep waiting times as low as possible, we can’t guarantee anything. It’s important to us (and better for you) if you use your sick time recovering from any medical concern you have, not waiting in an office. With an online provider, you can take your appointment on your lunch break, during your commute or after work. You won’t need to forfeit work hours to get the help you need.
You can also avoid transportation costs. Staying at home means you don’t have to pay for the subway or a bus ticket. Your online doctor visit can be taken from the comfort of your home (or more accurately, your bed). We also worked hard to keep the price of the actual online doctor visit affordable for everyone. For $60 you get the undivided attention of your provider. Think of it like a house call, except you don’t have to get up to answer the door for anyone. And if you need a note for work, our doctor will email it to you at the end of the visit.
An Online Doctor That Writes Prescriptions Are Available
A common concern we hear from people who want to use an online doctor is about the services available. Patients are worried that they won’t get a complete visit with an online doctor. Obviously, you won’t be able to take x-rays or other scans with an online doctor visit. If your concern is a broken bone or something else that requires immediate attention with medical equipment, it’s better to come in for an in-person visit with a doctor. However, if you’re looking for a doctor that writes prescriptions and authorizes refills, we have you covered.
Each online doctor has the ability to write prescriptions for you or your loved ones. We can send your prescription in an email or we will send it directly to your chosen pharmacy. We understand that any doctor visit wouldn’t be truly convenient if you didn’t get the treatment you need.
Similarly, your online doctor will be able to order lab work or other non-emergent scans so that you only have to make a single trip out of the house when you’re feeling lousy. Our patients find that eliminating that extra afternoon at a doctor’s office can often make all the difference in the world. Besides, Statcare has physical locations in Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Long Island. So, unlike others, Statcare can order your tests at the time of the online doctor visit and you can just go to one of the locations and get the specific tests done. Statcare’s online provider can also send in referrals for ultrasounds, mammograms, CT Scans and Specialist Referrals as needed.
An Online Doctor Can Be Available Anywhere, Anytime
No one plans on falling ill. And doesn’t it always seem like people start to feel sick at the most inconvenient times? Right before vacation, during a busy shift at work or in the middle of a huge study session. The thought of interrupting these important days with a trip to the doctor is almost worse than being sick in the first place. With an online doctor visit, you can take your appointment anywhere, anytime!
Schedule your appointment during the most convenient time for you and take it anywhere. You can see Statcare’s online doctor anytime whether it is a weekday or a weekend. Statcare’s dedicated staff will help you connect with the doctor and stay with you online to iron out any issues you might have with your computer, iPad, phone or the wifi network. Don’t rearrange your schedule just to sit in a doctor’s office. It’s the ultimate convenience, technology and healthcare combined.
When Is It Not A Good Time to Visit an Online Doctor?
We’ve given you some great reasons to choose an online doctor, but there are some situations where you should see a doctor in-person. You should always see a doctor in-person if your concern is an emergency. Broken bones, persistent pain esp. abdominal pain or heavy bleeding (rectal or vaginal) are all signs that you need to see a doctor immediately and should not schedule a doctor visit.
Additionally, if you know that you’ll need medical equipment to get the treatment you need, you should plan on seeing a doctor in-person. There is no way for doctors to administer treatment virtually if you require special medical equipment. And finally, if you don’t have a reliable wifi network or a high-quality webcam, it might be smart to consider an in-person doctor visit. Nowadays, all phones have high-resolution cameras that make it far more easier to see and treat medical problems. Particularly patients who want a doctor’s opinion on a rash or other skin irritation, a poor-quality camera will make it hard to properly diagnose the problem.
For any other medical concerns, an online doctor is just as effective as an in-person doctor. Not to mention much more convenient. We offer more information about our online doctor services, including price, availability and how to schedule your appointment on our website. You can also read more information on the services we provide for in-person doctor visits.