Sometimes, seeing your doctor can feel like the last thing that is on your list of priorities. Between work, socializing, family, and other things, it’s easy to let your regular doctor’s appointments slide. But even if you’re healthy, it’s really important to keep in touch with your general practitioner for regular check-ups to make sure that you stay in good working order.
The truth is that seeing a doctor regularly can often help you catch illnesses and conditions at the start before they get too serious. A good example of this is how all young women over a certain age should get a pap smear exam. When caught early, changes in cells in the cervix can be easily treated, but if you let your check-ups lapse, you may have to deal with the stressful treatments associated with cervical cancer – and that’s if you’re lucky enough to catch it in time. It is estimated that over 4,000 women a year will die of cervical cancer in the U.S. every year.
While this may sound like a dramatic doomsday scenario, there are less serious conditions that can be caught and treated by regular visits to your doctor. Anxiety, depression, skin conditions, joint pain, and other everyday ailments can be helped better if your doctor sees you regularly and can assess how you look when things aren’t normal. Regular blood pressure checks and blood tests can also ascertain how your body looks when you’re healthy, so you’ll be in a better position to notice when things aren’t so good.
Regular check-ups with your doctor are important – but what if it’s too hard to find the time to make an appointment? That’s where telemedicine comes in.
Even if you are well, seeing your doctor regularly will also give you access to an expert who can help you improve various parts of your life. Your doctor can advise you on your diet, mental wellness, and exercise routine, and can tell you what things you should avoid if you’re trying to be that little bit healthier.
It’s very easy to say that you need to see your doctor more – but who has the time to do this? If you’re a busy professional with significant work and personal commitments, it’s very difficult to prioritize a doctor’s appointment, especially when it’s “just” for maintenance reasons. It’s hard enough to get to the doctor’s office if you’re actually sick, but the good news is that there’s technology out there that is revolutionizing the lives of busy people everywhere.
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunications technology to deliver diagnostic or other health care advice. While it has been used in history since the advent of telecommunications, it is currently experiencing a boom thanks to the proliferation of smartphones. People who are too busy to see a doctor can use their phones to fill the gap, just like how we can now order groceries, find a date, or have dinner delivered via our phones. Telemedicine is empowering patients to take back control and to prioritize their health in an increasingly busy world.
If you’re nervous about the process of using telemedicine, the good news is that it’s a very easy thing to do. Firstly, you need to find a medical provider that works for you. Some telemedical doctors specialize in certain services, such as emotional support animals, handicap parking permits, or medical marijuana, so if you are in need of something specific, you can find it. However, there are also general practitioners who can become your regular check-up doctor in order for you to keep an eye on your health.
If you’ve got a smartphone, you can use telemedicine!
Firstly, you log on to the medical provider’s website and you’ll either be connected straight to a doctor or directed to a virtual waiting room. Once you are connected to a doctor, they will conduct your appointment through the camera function on your smartphone. If you have specific physical symptoms, you can use the camera to show them to the doctor and they can send you to a facility if you need further testing, but otherwise, it is just like an in-person appointment. You can be as open and honest as you need to be with your doctor. It’s just a different format.
If you need a prescription, they will usually send it to your pharmacy so that the medication will be ready and waiting for you. In addition, telemedicine providers usually operate with differing working hours, so that you can usually find an appointment outside of office hours. Telemedical appointments also usually cost less than traditional ones, as they often don’t incur the same operating costs associated with running a doctor’s clinic.
Keeping all of this in mind, there really is no reason that you shouldn’t start making more regular appointments to see a doctor. Log on, see what all the fuss is about, and change your life. Your body will thank you for it!