With advancements in technology, gone are the days when you would need to rush to the doctor anytime you had a medical question or concern. Today, you can video chat with your physician from the comfort of your home – saving you lots of time (and money!). So, why should telemedicine only work for humans? In fact, using telehealth measures to help care for your pet is starting to get even easier. There are several companies that are changing the game by introducing veterinary telemedicine services to pet owners. Interested in finding out how to help better care for your furry friend with telemedicine? Read on for more info!

Anytime your pet starts showing symptoms – whether it’s limping from a fall or vomiting after eating something they shouldn’t have – you’re left wondering if you should pack them up in the car and head straight to your vet’s office. Some animals can get extremely agitated when they have to be transported in a carrier or take a ride in the car, so even getting them to the office can be a hassle. If you live in a rural area, the aspect of traveling to a nearby vet’s office can be even more challenging. Then, once you’re at the office, you’ll likely spend quite a bit of time in the waiting room. After meeting with your vet, you’re probably going to face having to pay an expensive bill (whether your pet needed much treatment or not). Needless to say, the whole experience can end up making you feel overwhelmed and frustrated.

Who said the conveniences of telemedicine can only be enjoyed by humans?! Pet care is the newest entry to the realm of telemedicine.

Luckily, there are several companies who are starting to revolutionize how you can get help from a vet. If you live in the San Francisco Bay area in California, you can get access to Fuzzy Pet Health Connect, a telemedicine service that works with a smartphone app to give you access to an on-demand vet 24/7. It works by letting you send text, pictures, and videos to a licensed vet at any time. They’ll respond in real-time with detailed instructions and advice on how to care for your pet and their particular problem. They’ll also advise you if they think your pet should visit an in-person vet for the best treatment. Even if you have questions that are not medical, Fuzzy Pet Health can help by offering advice on behavior or training issues too. The best part is that it’s only $10 a month!

In an interview with TechCrunch, Fuzzy Pet Health co-founder Eric Palm says that this kind of on-demand help can allow for pet owners’ questions to be answered quickly, without needing to visit a vet in person. “It turns out that 80 percent of the time when people think there’s an emergency issue, it’s not actually critical. We can triage – we can share pictures and videos, and that’s really helpful.”

But these plans aren’t just for medical emergencies. They also include an annual supply of flea, tick, and heartworm preventative medications and core vaccines. You can even get diagnostics for heartworm and fecal testing every six months and microchipping for your pet. One of the plans even includes two wellness checkups that are conducted in your home! If your pet is older or has chronic conditions, one plan option offers blood panels every six months and a cold laser therapy treatment, so no matter what your pet needs, they’ll be taken care of.

Thanks to telemedicine, concerns you would once have made a vet trip to get checked out can now be dealt with from your home.

Fuzzy Pet Health is seeing great results with the service. Co-founder and lead vet Dr. Robert Trimble said in a statement, “The average pet parent goes to the vet only 1.6 times a year, while our members get in touch with us roughly once a month. We’re excited to expand telemedicine across the country, and provide pet parents the peace of mind and education that come with easy and unlimited access to high-quality care.” While the service isn’t widely available yet, the company is thinking of expanding to other major cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.

There are other companies, like Petriage, that also use a mobile app to give pet owners direct access to expert vet advice. If you have a good working relationship with your vet, there are sites like Televet that offer direct communication with the vet your pet is already seeing.

Telemedicine for pets is pretty new, and there’s definitely room to grow. At this time, there are laws in most states that say that telehealth vet services can’t diagnose or prescribe medications without in-person vet visits. There aren’t these types of laws for human health care, so hopefully, lawmakers will see how helpful and convenient these services are and do away with these restrictions. Palm says that there is progress already being made. “Each state has its own Veterinary Medical Board, and there are active discussions on most of these boards on how to relax the rules around telemedicine,” Palm states.

So, as these services grow more popular, you’ll be able to take care of most of your vet business through convenient, time and money-saving mobile apps and video chats, no matter where you’re living.

Telemedicine is currently the hot topic in the medical field, and its rise to prominence has ushered in a new era of patient care. Anyone who’s followed the ascent and subsequent domination of digital platforms across various industries should not be surprised at this trend; Amazon did it first in the retail space, while Netflix practically dismantled terrestrial television in a matter of a few years. Telemedicine, while not a company like the previous two examples, is nevertheless still revolutionizing the medical industry in the digital age. The movement started in the 1960s, when doctors introduced patient care via telephones (hence the ‘tele’ prefix of the title). However, in 2018, medical professionals have a wide array of devices and platforms to choose from, which can aid with both regular telemedicine and telemedicine psychiatry.

Back when it was introduced, telemedicine was only designed to help remote patients with physical problems. However, as it has evolved throughout the decades, practitioners have seen the beneficial effects it can have on psychiatry patients, too. In the 1960s, there was much stigma surrounding mental health, so it’s unsurprising that telemedicine never developed to incorporate it. Over the last few decades, though, there has been sustained and invigorated interest around mental health and mental health issues, and the thick fog of stigma is slowly lifting. This has allowed companies to take advantage of telemedicine as a platform, and deliver world-class mental health therapy to patients around the country.

Telemedicine psychiatry removes initial patient barriers very effectively.

Telemedicine psychiatry, or telepsychiatry for short, can be utilized through a number of different devices, but it’s chiefly communicated via smartphones, tablets, and laptops/desktop computers. This immediately takes some of the intimidation away from the process, and helps the potential patient feel completely at home; mainly because they are at home! We all have preconceived notions of what psychiatry offices look and sound like, so some of us can be hesitant to admit we may be suffering and fully engage with the process. Telemedicine psychiatry removes those initial barriers very effectively.

Doctors have argued that, in some cases, connecting with a patient via a video link into the their home is actually preferable to meeting them in person at an office. It allows the doctor to see inside the patient’s personal life, and get a sense of them in their own environment. This is sometimes hard to ascertain in traditional doctor-patient meetings, as mental health is a tricky area to diagnose correctly; there is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan. Patients can react differently depending on their surroundings, and it’s normal for a patient to be overly anxious, cautious, or defensive when they first encounter a psychiatrist. Using a video link platform, the psychiatrist can immediately glean information that may have taken up weeks or months of their time to uncover through in-person appointments.

It’s important to point out that these video sessions aren’t just conducted over consumer services like Skype or FaceTime. Companies have been busy developing specific telepsychiatry platforms to best facilitate doctor-patient appointments, and there are a number of different options available. Most of these services introduce and execute a full-on patient plan, with continued care and careful monitoring of the patient for an extended duration of time. Many doctors have already praised telemedicine for its diagnostic benefits; it allows health professionals to keep a closer eye on patients, despite seeing them remotely, as they can work together with the patient to monitor symptoms, and have instant access to that information.

Mental health is a tricky area to diagnose correctly; there is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan.

Telemedicine psychiatry has other utilities too. While it’s predominantly useful for patients looking to schedule appointments, it can also act as a useful middleman for certain psychiatric services. One prime example of this is emotional support animals, or ESAs for short. This new form of progressive therapy involves utilizing the constant presence and companionship of a pet to tackle the debilitating symptoms of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bi-polar disorder. The treatment has been wildly successful and has gained much traction in the U.S. with both patients and doctors alike. The key to availing of your own ESA is to have something called an ESA letter, which is a verified document from a medical professional confirming your need of an emotional support animal. Thanks to telemedicine, these are easier than ever to obtain; through sites like Moosh, you can do it all from the comfort of your own home and partner up with your ESA in no time at all.

It’s clear that telemedicine is changing the face of health care in the 21st century, for both physical ailments and psychological ones. While telepsychiatry is a few steps behind, there are major initiatives going on behind the scenes to bring on-demand mental health care to the masses. In due course, people will be able to manage and balance their mental health demands through a variety of platforms, be it cognitive behavioral therapy apps, or regular video appointments with their psychologists. The future certainly looks bright for telemedicine psychiatry.

Seeing a doctor is not always the easiest thing to do. It is also often not at the top of people’s list of priorities, especially in a non-emergency situation. Busy professionals rarely have time to visit the doctor, and this problem is often compounded by medical professionals who have inflexible opening hours that don’t really work for people with traditional nine-to-five jobs. These issues are also made worse if patients have mobility issues or are living in remote locations where access to all kinds of services is difficult, never mind health care. This is why many people living in remote locations are now turning to telemedicine to make their lives easier.

Simply put, telemedicine is the combination of medical or diagnostic advice with telecommunications technology. It is currently experiencing a huge surge thanks to the proliferation of smartphones, but has been used since the advent of telecommunications technology, usually in warzones or other areas where it is difficult to bring medics in-person. Nowadays, people who live in remote locations are using telemedicine to access health care in ways they never thought possible.

Telemedicine has many benefits, especially for people who live in remote locations.

There are many advantages to living in remote locations, including the peace and quiet and the freedom of total privacy – but the truth is that there just isn’t the same level of accessibility as there is in a more built-up area. People living in cities take for granted the services that those living remotely have to travel some distance for. This can be particularly problematic for health care services, especially if you work in a job that doesn’t allow for a lot of flexibility in taking time off for medical appointments.

Telemedicine is perfect for people who live in remote locations because all you need is a smartphone and an internet connection, which most people have these days. Depending on the type of service you use, you will either make an appointment with a specific service provider or else use a drop-in clinic. Either way, you might have to wait in a virtual waiting room before being able to meet your doctor. From there, it’ll be exactly the same as a face-to-face consultation, except you’ll be talking to your doctor via the camera on your smartphone. They’ll ask why you’re seeing someone and give you the same advice an in-person medical professional will. They may ask you to use the camera to show them specific physical symptoms if needed and will answer any questions you may have.

People in remote locations can often be unsure as to whether they need secondary care and may be unwilling to take the chance due to the long journey time, but telemedical professionals can easily refer you to a specialist if needed. Instead of wasting your time traveling to a primary care physician and then having to go to a specialist, a telemedical doctor can properly ascertain your need to make this trip while you’re comfortable in your own home. They can also make your life easier by forwarding all correspondence directly to your secondary physician and can link in with your pharmacy, meaning that prescriptions will be ready and waiting for you as soon as you get there, as opposed to having to wait lengthy times for them to be prepared.

As long as you have a smartphone and an internet connection, medical consultations are just a tap away.

Seeking specialist care can often be problematic for people living in remote areas, but telemedicine connects patients to doctors who can give them the specific care they need for their ailments. For people who require care that is not traditional, such as medical marijuana or emotional support animals, there is a wealth of medical professionals operating via telemedicine who can give you the advice that you need in an unbiased, non-judgmental way. This can be especially helpful for patients of primary care physicians who may be unwilling to try innovative forms of treatment. If you suffer from a condition that has various treatments, it can often be intimidating to ask your doctor to help you access something like medical marijuana. Being able to speak to someone who specializes in this area, especially from the comfort of your own home, can be very helpful and therapeutic for people who might otherwise be too nervous to advocate for themselves.

It may sometimes feel odd to speak to a doctor via a camera, but once you start, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it sooner. Telemedicine allows people from various backgrounds and locations to connect with health care like never before, and if you’re living somewhere remote, it’s the perfect solution to a problem you might not even know you have, freeing up your spare time for things that really matter. It’s affordable, accessible, and a great option for every type of patient, so what are you waiting for?

Telemedicine is the next big movement in health care. The practice has already made strides to revolutionize the complicated and burgeoning health sector in America, though it still has a long way to go. Despite this, many people in America might be wondering just how it has helped the health care system, and even what exactly telemedicine is. Essentially, telemedicine is the practice of delivering health care, mostly in the form of clinical appointments, via telecommunications or digital communications. Originally, the term was solely used to describe the former; however, with the rise of digital technology, it now encompasses primarily the latter. Telemedicine is advantageous to many forms of treatment, but when you pair it with an equal progressive treatment measure like emotional support animals, you can really see how effective it is.

Emotional support animals (or ESAs for short) are a new wave of therapy for patients afflicted with the most common forms of mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. They take the form of pets, and require no specific training or guidelines to aid their owner; instead, they help calm the symptoms of the above disorders with their continued presence in their owner’s life. Emotional support animals can be an already-owned pet who is given ESA status, or they can be a completely new animal. Any species counts as an ESA; it’s entirely down to what sort of pet makes the patient feel calm, secure, and reassured. Despite this, as with normal pets, emotional support animals are overwhelmingly dogs and cats.

With emotional support animals becoming more popular, many people are utilizing telemedicine to avail of this alternative therapy.

ESAs are prescribed via the means of an important document called an emotional support animal letter (or ESA letter). This is given to the patient by a certified medical professional, and allows them (and by extension their ESA) to avail of a number of laws designed to help disabled people. Some people might be concerned about procuring this letter, but fortunately, telemedicine can actually play a crucial part in obtaining this important document. Through telemedicine sites like Moosh, patients suffering from a wide variety of mental disorders can be assessed online, and receive their ESA letter without ever having to visit a doctor in person.

This is beneficial in a number of ways. ESAs aren’t governed by the same laws as normal pets; due to their status as essentially a form of psychiatric treatment, they are allowed to accompany their owners to places other pets would usually not be allowed to venture. The two prime examples of this are airplane cabins, which are covered by the Air Carrier Access Act, and rented accommodation, which falls under the Fair Housing Act. Although these laws weren’t designed specifically with emotional support animals in mind, they cover a whole host of disorders and disabilities; their main function is to call a halt to any form of discrimination.

Unfortunately, many landlords and property owners don’t necessarily know the ins and outs of emotional support animals, as they are a relatively new phenomenon in the world of mental treatment. This is why the ESA letter is so important, and so necessary when either attempting to rent property with an ESA in tow, or bringing an ESA into a property you’re already renting. With this simple document, the landlord must accept you and your ESA, and if they try to discriminate against you, they can be punished by law. All the patient has to make sure of is that the letter is in date; typically an ESA letter is valid for one year. An out-of-date letter is null and void, and your landlord would then have legal grounds to refuse to rent to you.

Getting an ESA letter using telemedicine has never been easier.

Fortunately, the process of obtaining an emotional support animal letter is simple, especially when you use telemedicine. If you’re anxious about the process of retrieving one in person, then availing of telemedicinal services is the best course of action; it can save you time, stress, and money. You can also renew your letter via the same means, making sure you’re up to date and covered by the various laws. It’s important to remember to do this, as if you let it slip, you and your ESA might be vulnerable. Fortunately, the process of renewing your letter is as easy as getting it in the first place. Utilizing telemedicine can make this particular area of progressive health care a breeze, leaving you to enjoy your new life with your emotional support animal.

Telemedicine is helping patients up and down the country save time, money, and effort with their health care. The implementation of ESAs is only one area where the new movement is proving hugely beneficial. As the months and years roll on, telemedicine will no doubt become a bigger and bigger part of our society as technology advances, and digital tools become integrated further into our day-to-day lives. The future is bright!

The increased availability and popularity of telemedicine services across the United States is great news for many people and groups. It is a particularly good development for emotional support animal patients. Over the last few years telemedicine has truly revolutionized support for ESA owners, as well people who wish to become ESA owners. It is a very exciting time to be an emotional support animal patient!

Let’s talk about some of the ways in which telemedicine is making it easier than ever before to become an ESA owner and enjoy the wonderful benefits emotional support pet ownership brings.

Telemedicine refers to any type of medicine or medical consultation that is done remotely using modern communications technology. Communication between a health care professional and a patient via smartphone, tablet, laptop, or any other type of mobile device (usually using the internet) is called telemedicine. Super-fast broadband and highly powerful modern computer technology have made it easer than ever before for a patient and their health care provider (who can now be located anywhere in the entire country, or even abroad) to have fast, reliable, high-fidelity, and secure consultations.

Telemedicine brings a whole host of benefits to emotional support animal patients. For those of you who are still in the dark about this health care phenomenon, an ESA is an animal companion that provides company, friendship, love, and a calming influence to a patient who suffers from some form of mental illness. Many different psychological conditions qualify a person to become an emotional support animal owner. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, phobias (such as fear of flying), chronic stress, acute loneliness, or even suicidal thoughts are mental health conditions that qualify a person to become an emotional support pet owner. ESAs have special rights under American federal law. A certified ESA can live with its owner in rental accommodation that is otherwise “no pets allowed.” It can also travel with its owner in the cabin of a commercial airplane. In order to become an emotional support animal owner, a patient needs to get a letter from a registered mental health professional stating that the patient would benefit from owning an emotional support pet.

There are so many benefits to emotional support animals, and thanks to telemedicine, more and more people are able to experience these benefits.

An emotional support animal letter can be acquired by doing a consultation with a registered mental health practitioner, such as Moosh, online or over the phone. For many people, due to their specific life circumstances, getting their ESA letter via a telemedicine consultation is a much easier and better option than going through the time-consuming rigmarole of attending a practitioner’s office in-person.

Getting an emotional support animal letter after having a telemedicine consultation is much easier for the many ESA patients who live in remote parts of the country. For some people, getting to their nearest mental health practitioner requires a long journey by road or even by plane. From some very remote places, a journey to visit a health care provider in person could take an entire day or more. Telemedicine is a lifesaver for these patients.

Some ESA patients also suffer from mobility issues, either relating to their mental illness or not. Many people who suffer with PTSD are also amputees or otherwise long-term disabled. These folks, even with the use of a disabled parking permit, can often still find getting around pretty difficult. For these people, being able to do their ESA consultation over the phone or online is a godsend.

For people whose local mental health practitioner is very busy and has a long waiting list, it can also be a much quicker process to get their support pet consultation done using telemedicine.

Getting a certified support pet has never been easier than in today’s age of technology and telemedicine.

Some folks are just a little bit picky about who they want to discuss their mental health problems with. If they live in a small town in which “everybody knows everybody,” they may prefer the increased privacy and anonymity that comes with consulting with a mental health professional in a separate and distant area via telemedicine.

For a great many ESA patients, it’s really just a matter of saving time. In the modern world a lot of us have very busy schedules, and if we can get a telemedicine consultation – that would usually take a few hours in person – done in 20 minutes online, that is a huge help and a service well worth seeking.

It is also possible to have a consultation with a vet using telemedicine, and for pretty much all of the reasons we’ve just stated (distance issues, more choice, time saving), many ESA patients find it more convenient to use telemedicine for their emotional pet’s veterinary needs.

So it certainly is the case that telemedicine is revolutionizing support for ESA patients. In so many ways, telemedicine is making life much easier for ESA owners, and their pets!

Emotional support animals, or ESAs, are often misunderstood in the media, but the truth is that they are an essential tool that can help people lessen the symptoms of their emotional or psychological conditions. Some people mistakenly feel that an emotional support animal is just a glorified pet, but these creatures can actually help to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and panic attacks. The truth is that as well as being pets, emotional support animals offer a unique form of support to their owners that allows them to live their best possible lives.

The problem with getting treatment from an emotional support animal is that many people who would benefit from them are self-conscious about seeking treatment and are unsure of the best people to speak to in order to get their pets certified. The good news is that, thanks to telemedicine, the process has never been easier.

Telemedicine is the process of delivering health or diagnostic advice through telecommunications technology. While it is experiencing a boom now through the advent of smartphones, it has been used in many guises since telecommunications has been invented. Thanks to smartphones, more and more patients are using telecommunications to access excellent health care, often at more convenience and at more affordable prices.

Emotional support animals can be an amazing form of therapy and treatment for people with emotional disorders.

So, how can you use telemedicine to get an emotional support animal? Well, first you need to know how emotional support animals become certified. To qualify as an emotional support animal, your pet needs an official document called an emotional support animal letter. This can only be obtained from a qualified medical professional, but the good news is that telemedicine completely facilitates you getting your ESA letter.

The first step is that you either make an appointment or “drop in” to an online telemedicine clinic (such as Moosh). You may have to wait to see a doctor in a virtual waiting room, but once you’re in with a medical professional, it’s just like seeing a regular doctor in person. You will use the camera on your phone to speak to the doctor and explain why you need an emotional support animal. They will ask about your condition and how the pet supports you, and you’ll be given an opportunity to discuss the ways in which your pet could act as an emotional support animal and to get advice from the medical professional. Then, if you are deemed suitable, the doctor will provide you with an emotional support animal letter, which will act as a legal document for you to ensure that your emotional support animal receives protection under the law. The letter is signed, stamped, and dated and is valid for one year, so if you wish to continue to register your pet as an emotional support animal, you’ll need to have another appointment to renew your documentation.

There are so many perks to using telemedicine in this way, but the key advantage for many people with the conditions that can benefit most from ESAs is that it allows them to see a non-judgmental medical professional in a way that is convenient for them. Sometimes, medical professionals who are not as educated in emotional support animals can be overly judgmental about people seeking this treatment. In using telemedicine, it is much easier to seek out someone who specializes in this treatment and who is used to seeing and treating people just like you.

In the new age of telemedicine, it’s never been easier to get your pet certified as an emotional support animal.

If you suffer from a condition that makes it difficult for you to leave the house, it’s also very helpful that you can use telemedicine from the comfort of your own home. The paradox is that often, in getting an emotional support animal, you will feel less anxious and more able to leave the house and live a happy and fulfilled life, but your symptoms can often make it very difficult to get the documentation you need to properly access this treatment. When you get a telemedical appointment, you’ll be able to speak to someone openly and honestly from your own home, comfortable in the knowledge that they won’t judge you and they’ll be happy to give you the advice and documentation that you need.

You may already be getting the benefits of an emotional support animal from your regular pet, but if you have the documentation, you’ll be able to get benefits while traveling or renting a home that would not be open to you otherwise. In using telemedicine to access these benefits, you’re empowering yourself to take control of your own life and health with the help of telemedical professionals who want to make sure that patients get the chance to access the medical care that they need without any fear of judgment.

Telemedicine is an exciting and innovative solution to a number of issues faced by patients, but many people find it slightly confusing and off-putting. The truth is that telemedicine is simply healthcare provided via telecommunications technology. It is not a new development as doctors have used telephony since the technology was invented, but it is making new breakthroughs thanks to smartphone technology. Like contemporary telemedicine, the use of emotional support animals, or ESAs, is also not new but is currently experiencing a massive surge in popularity. Animals have been used for therapeutic reasons for thousands of years, but now it is much easier to access proper protection for emotional support animals and their owners thanks to modern technology. As use of telemedicine and emotional support animals grows, the two are being used in tandem more and more frequently.

While many people think that the process of getting an emotional support animal letter is difficult, it’s actually very easy when you use telemedicine. An emotional support animal letter is a document that is stamped, signed, and dated by a medical professional and states that your emotional support animal is used to support you in the treatment of your emotional or psychological condition.

An emotional support animal can be an incredible form of therapy and treatment.

Many people who have conditions that can be helped by emotional support animals may find it quite difficult to leave the house, which is why telemedicine can be so powerful for them. Telemedicine allows these patients to have an online consultation in order to receive their emotional support animal letter instead of having to go to the doctor’s office, which can be an intimidating experience if you are suffering from particular anxieties or phobias. Emotional support animals can help in the treatment of numerous conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, stress and anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. In providing tangible support, ESAs often ensure that their owners can live far more productive lives than those who are battling their conditions alone.

In order to get an emotional support animal letter via telemedicine, you just need to have an online consultation which can be done on your smartphone. You may have to wait in a virtual waiting room, but when you get through, you’ll speak to a qualified medical professional who will assess your suitability. They will ask you about your condition and how your pet helps you manage it. If they deem you suitable for ESA treatment, they will write you an emotional support animal letter, which will be valid for one year. When your letter expires, you will need to have another consultation to have your ESA recertified.

When you receive your ESA letter, you will have certain protections under the law. Tenants cannot be prejudiced against by landlords with anti-pet regulations, as ESAs must be accommodated for and cannot be subject to restrictions such as size and weight. You also cannot be discriminated against by airlines who must allow you to fly along with your emotional support animal. They must do all they can to accommodate you and cannot legally stop you and your ESA from traveling together.

Telemedicine and emotional support animals pair perfectly together to give people the treatment they need much more easily.

The power of pairing telemedicine and emotional support animals is that it can connect you to a medical professional who really understands how ESAs work. There are some doctors who do not believe in the therapeutic power of these animals, despite clear evidence that they have a massive impact on their owners. If you live somewhere that has only a couple of options when it comes to medical advice, it can be difficult to get the specialized care and advice that you need. With telemedicine, you are instantly connected to professionals who are familiar with your needs and those of people like you, who will not judge you, and who want to help. The best thing is that you can access all of this from the comfort of your own home.

Telemedicine and emotional support animals are established therapies that are having their own renaissances, so it makes sense that they work perfectly together. With telemedicine, the power is with the patient and you will be taken seriously and listened to. Take your life back into your own hands and use telemedicine to get the best treatment available to you.

It wasn’t that long ago that if you’d said the words “emotional support animal” to someone, they might have given you an odd kind of look. Nowadays, though, a lot of people have not only heard of emotional support animals – they actually own one. With recognized qualifying conditions – such as depression, autism, anxiety, and panic attacks – unfortunately on the increase, it’s no small wonder that folk are turning to companion pet certification instead of medication as an alternative to alleviating their condition. An emotional support animal is not just any old pet; it’s one that specifically helps you cope with your psychological or emotional disorder.

If a furry friend helps to relax you, or aids your confidence in social situations, or is simply a much-needed companion because you find it hard to leave the house – then what’s not to like about him or her? It’s easy to see why more and more people are turning to emotional support animals. In the past, it was believed that only a dog could fulfill the function of an ESA, but now it’s well-documented that more or less any type of animal can become an ESA. The choice is yours! So if you don’t like big animals, you could choose a rabbit maybe, or even a mouse. If you don’t like dogs or cats, then how about a pig! It’s not unheard of. Providing you qualify for and obtain your emotional support animal letter, you get to select your ESA.

An emotional support animal doesn’t have to be a cat or dog – it can be virtually any type of pet!

With the advent of specific laws relating to emotional support animals, and the adaption of existing laws in favor of people with a recognized disability, it’s now even possible to take your ESA on a flight in the cabin with you – providing you have the correct emotional support animal letter that is. It’s also possible to have your pet live with you in rented accommodation, without paying extra for the privilege. Landlords are required to make “reasonable accommodations” for their tenants so that they can live comfortably with their companion pet. The same applies to students in university accommodation, thanks to a 2013 amendment to the Housing Act. Your emotional support animal letter also allows you access to certain public areas where regular pets are not allowed. Be wise with your choice of pet, though, if you want to take advantage of all or any of the above!

It’s easy to see why and how emotional support animals are continually growing in popularity. There is no doubt that they are helping many people who, without them, could not cope with the normal pressures of daily life and living. Also, as referred to above, the introduction and adaptation of various laws are making it less complicated for these people to lead more regular lives with the help of their pet.

So how does telemedicine fit in with emotional support animals, and what part does it have to play in its continuing growth?

It’s probably fair to say that without telemedicine; a lot of people wouldn’t have their emotional support animal today. Most of the conditions which lead to folk benefiting from an ESA are to do with anxiety, panic attacks, fear of public places, fear of social situations, and so on. Imagine, then, if you had to firstly make an appointment with a licensed mental health expert; go to said expert’s office for the appointment; sit in a waiting room alongside other people; and then finally go through a face-to-face assessment about your condition with the specialist. You might think twice about doing all of that, wouldn’t you? Or maybe you live in a rural area where access to any kind of medical personnel means a long journey – something you simply can’t undertake.

Advances in telemedicine have been crucial to the widespread awareness and popularity of emotional support animals.

Well, thanks to telemedicine, you don’t have to do any of these things. You can apply for your emotional support animal letter online. You don’t need to leave the house and you don’t need an “in-person” chat. The assessment can be done fully in writing, or via a telephone or video call. There’s an initial questionnaire to complete, which outlines your own particular requirements. The specialist will then consult with you about your condition. The deciding factor on whether or not your application is successful is if the specialist believes that an emotional support animal in your life would help alleviate your symptoms. You will be told the outcome of your application at the end of the consultation. Once approved, your ESA letter will be mailed to you. No in-person contact is needed at all!

Once you have your letter, you will have access to the benefits listed above. Telemedicine will help you in these areas too. If you want to take your ESA on the plane with you, no problem: just contact the airline and fax or scan your letter across to them. Same with applying to have your pet in your rented accommodation – you don’t need to speak to the landlord in person about this. Just send them a copy of your ESA letter electronically. As you can see, we’ve actually been using telemedicine for some time without realizing it!

It’s vital that the developments in telemedicine continue apace and that it becomes more mainstream and generally more accessible. Without it, a lot of people’s conditions would be undocumented and therefore unresolved. Telepyschiatry is an area of telemedicine that is rapidly becoming popular and widespread. This is exactly the sort of thing that is crucial to diagnosing patients who might not be able to travel to see an expert in person and would therefore go undiagnosed. The recommendation to apply for emotional support animal registration is just one of several solutions that the specialist may come up with, and it turns out to be absolutely the right solution for many people.

As digital technology continues to grow more and more powerful, our society is shifting to better help meet our needs. Despite countless medical advances, the health system has remained largely unchanged in terms of the way it operates; patients have something wrong with them, so they schedule a meeting with a doctor, go and confer with them, and then avail of some kind of treatment. It’s been this way for centuries, even if the methods of treating illnesses have progressed incalculably. However, with the advent of telemedicine, the method that patients use to interact with their doctors has changed for the better.

Telemedicine refers to the practise of clinically consulting with your doctor from your home, using a telecommunications device. The idea is not new, and has essentially been around since the invention of the telephone; however, with the advancement of digital technology and the prevalence of smartphones, tablets and other powerful handheld gadgets, telemedicine is in a position to take a giant leap forward in the healthcare arena. But how it exactly will it benefit everyone? Here’re five reasons why telemedicine could improve your health.

1 – It’s Fast

Because telemedicine doesn’t require you to visit a doctor in person, it can be an extremely fast way of detecting signs of critical conditions like a stroke or a heart attack, and can be used to advise patients on whether they need to take a trip to the emergency room or not. Also, it’s fast in another way; you can get referred to specialists quicker, and the general practise of contacting your doctor takes much less time out of your day, leaving you to focus on other elements. Previously, for some people, a trip to the doctor’s office would constitute a large portion of a given day; the speed of telemedicine allows you to get the healthcare you need at a much quicker pace.

2 – It Can Get You Access to Better Specialists

Speaking of specialists, telemedicine can help patients, especially patients in remote areas, access the best specialists possible. Traditionally, you were bound to whatever local specialist was available for your specific condition; with telemedicine, your local health care practitioner can recommend the best specialists from all over the country, allowing you to choose form the wealth of experience they offer. There’s no need to be tied down to the local specialists anymore; telemedicine is opening up whole new doors for patients, which can only improve the country’s general health.

Telemedicine can improve your health simply by guaranteeing that you get to hear from a specialist.

3 – It Helps You To Not Put Off That Doctor’s Visit

Let’s face it, doctor’s visits are extremely easy things to put off, but they really shouldn’t be. Deep down, everyone knows that they should listen to their body and immediately go to a doctor when they instinctively know something’s wrong; however, very few of us actually act on that instinct immediately, sometimes with catastrophic results. For some reason, we always find a way to convince ourselves either that we’re fine, or that we’ll book that appointment tomorrow. Telemedicine takes the ‘event’ feeling out of a doctor’s visit, and allows us to incorporate it seamlessly into our routines. It helps us to not put off that nagging feeling we should see a doctor, which is essential to maintaining a healthy disposition.

4 – Patients Can Get Access to Treatments From Home

If a patient happens to be disabled, it might be incredibly tough for them to physically reach a doctor’s office, let alone see one on a regular basis to avail of the healthcare they need. Even something as simple as a handicap parking permit might be out of reach for a disabled person, despite it being a valuable tool for them to improve their life with. It’s not just physically disabled patients either; mentally disabled patients might be incapacitated and not capable of benefiting from a variety of treatments.

Through telemedicine, these patients can avail of progressive new therapies like Emotional Support Animals, all from the comfort and convenience of their homes.

Why visit the doctor when you can get a consultation on your phone?

5 – It’s the Way of the Future

As digital technology continues to evolve, telemedicine will continue to evolve with it. 2017 was a big year for the advancement of the healthcare industry, and 2018 looks to be no smaller. Telemedicine has already proven its worth in a variety of ways, and all signs point to it being rolled out all over the country in the coming months and years. From helping patients with chronic conditions manage it themselves to providing patients in rural areas with reliable, responsive healthcare access, telemedicine is a major benefit to patients everywhere. In order to be in the best position to benefit from this progressive leap in technology, start investigating if telemedicine can help you right now, and join the wave of digitally-involved healthcare.