To be physically disabled in a world that doesn’t always cater to you can be a frustrating experience. There are countless ways you can face discrimination on a daily basis, from lack of access to buildings to inadequate public transport, and these problems are only exacerbated if you live in an isolated area. The good news is that access to health care doesn’t need to be dependent on your ability to get to a doctor’s clinic, thanks to advances in telemedicine.

What is telemedicine? Put simply, it is the combination of telecommunications technology with diagnostic or health care advice. It has been used for a long time, mostly in emergency situations such as warzones or natural disasters when medics cannot access patients and have to make do with radio advice. However, thanks to the explosion in popularity of smartphones, telemedicine is now a mainstream means by which patients of all kinds are accessing medical advice.

Telemedicine can make it much easier for people with physical disabilities to access health care and medical advice.

Using telemedicine with a physical disability will depend on your ability to use a smartphone, but there’s no reason not to get assistance from a family member, friend, or carer who you trust to be present for your health care conversations. Once you’re comfortable in starting your consultation, you simply log on and get started. You sign up to the website of your choice and either wait in a virtual waiting room or get connected immediately to a doctor. They will speak to you via the camera on your phone and ask questions to get a sense of your medical history. You will get the opportunity to discuss your impairments with your doctor openly and they will be able to get a sense of how your disability impacts your life. If you need further testing, they will be able to refer you to a specialist, but can remain your primary care physician.

Telemedical doctors are very integrated with secondary services, which means that it’s a lot easier for patients, both disabled and able-bodied, to link in with specialists. They will send referral letters directly to the specialist doctors, meaning you don’t have to inconvenience yourself with having to schedule your own appointments. They will also link in with pharmacies to send your prescriptions straight to them so you don’t have to wait for your medications to be prepared. They’ll be ready and waiting for you as soon as you get to the pharmacy.

Another perk of telemedicine is that it tends to be a lot more affordable than traditional health care. If you’re living with a disability, you may have to spend a lot of money to make your life happy and comfortable, and you’re better off keeping that money for your self-care instead of unnecessarily spending it on doctors who are not acting in your best interests or convenience. Imagine a world where you can splurge on a fancy dinner instead of a doctor’s appointment!

If you have a smartphone, medical professionals are now literally at your fingertips through the advent of telemedicine.

If you’re someone who has a physical disability, it will be inevitable that you will have to see doctors in person from time to time, but telemedicine gives you the flexibility to be able to see someone in more convenient circumstances. If you’re using telemedicine as well as other specialists, they will be able to be kept in the loop with one another thanks to the ways telemedical providers store their records. This also means that you’ll be able to access the records however and whenever you want to, instead of having to jump through hoops, as is often the case at a traditional primary care physician’s office.

If you are living in a remote area or you have trouble with your mobility, it can be difficult to get to your doctor’s office, especially if your physical disability is causing you additional issues. Traditional primary care physicians often have opening hours that coincide with office hours, so it’s also very difficult for people who work full-time to make their way to a doctor’s office. Telemedicine allows you to see a doctor from the comfort of your own home, meaning that you don’t have to take time off work or push your body further than it needs to go for the sake of seeing a doctor in person.

If you don’t allow your disability to hold you back in other areas of your life, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use telemedicine to receive the best health care possible while avoiding the inconvenience of having to see a doctor in person. Telemedicine is an excellent way to empower yourself and to take back control instead of making yourself fit into a mold that just isn’t convenient for you.

Many tragic events have occurred recently in the United States. Whether we are facing a brutal natural disaster (like Hurricane Harvey or the fires in California) or a devastating school shooting (like the one in Parkland, Florida), it has become crucial for us as a nation to reach out for help and support during the aftermath of these types of horrific events. While some people tend to isolate after traumatic events, the increase in telemedicine options is actually starting to allow more individuals to get easy access to support. If you’ve been struggling with complicated emotions due to a national tragedy, here are some suggestions on how you can use telemedicine to get help.

Find a safe space

Your first step should always to be to determine your parameters for feeling safe. If you come up with a list ahead of time of things (or people or places) that make you feel protected, you can start getting support from others. Feeling safer might mean that you get off social media and begin to connect more with people in your day-to-day life. It can also mean that you figure out which people in your life are the most supportive during a difficult time.

Using telemedicine and the online space can help you to connect with others and work through your emotions after a tragedy.

Get online support from peers

One of the most healing things you can do is to talk about your experience and your feelings. The Internet has allowed us to connect more easily with others (despite our location or proximity to the event). So, you can gain a lot of support from going online and joining support groups. These groups (which are usually free to join) can give you an outlet to express how you’re doing and help you to connect with others about their feelings. This connection can help you feel less isolated and can help remind you that you aren’t the only one feeling distressed.

You can do an online search for support groups that apply to your situation, or you can ask your health care team or insurance provider if they’re able to provide information to connect you with a support group. There are also many Facebook groups that can be helpful if you’re just looking for a forum to connect to people struggling with the same issues as you. It can be extremely therapeutic to share your story with others – or just to be the one on the other side lending your support to those in need. The best guideline is just to remember to take a break if you’re feeling overwhelmed; then you can come back to the discussion boards or chat rooms when you’re feeling more centered.

Take a break from media consumption

It’s great if you’re using the Internet and telemedicine to help you cope with a national tragedy. However, if you’re getting bombarded by news stories and images about the tragedy, you could end up feeling even more traumatized. Try setting boundaries for yourself if you notice you’re getting overwhelmed or are emotionally drained. You can even try setting time limits for yourself (like only 30 minutes of media consumption a day, for example). You can get the online support you need during this time, but then you can allow yourself to turn to other social activities, work, or fun distractions to help get your mind away from the tragedy. Self-care is so critical in times of stress, so make sure you’re not letting yourself get carried away with the news coverage of the event or constant posts on your social media newsfeed.

Telemedicine allows you to seek counseling and support from the comfort of your own home.

Find support

One of the most significant ways you can use telemedicine to get help is to connect with a mental health professional. While support from friends and family can be helpful, sometimes you might require care from a professional in the field to really get a handle on your emotions or symptoms. Because telemedicine allows you to have video chats or connect through email, you can get instant access to a professional who can come up with a plan to help you manage your feelings.

There are also many benefits to using telemedicine for mental health care instead of visiting someone in person. For example, it’s often cheaper because you don’t have added office visit fees, and it’s more convenient because you don’t have to leave your home, find transportation, or waste time making a trip to an office. Instead, you can get counseling or therapy all from the comfort of your home. If you’re apprehensive about seeking help, telemedicine can give you some peace of mind since you can conduct all of your appointments in a place that feels safest to you. Plus, mental health professionals that work through telemedicine can still promise you the utmost privacy and confidentiality.

Use apps to monitor feelings

Another telemedicine option is to use an app to help keep track of your symptoms. After a traumatic event (especially one on a national scale), you can start to notice that you’re feeling more stressed, anxious, sad, or hopeless. By using an app (like ReallifeChange or iMoodJournal), you can track your moods to see how you’re doing. This can be a helpful way to see if you need to reach out for more support or make an appointment with a mental health professional. You can also use apps for guided meditations and breathing exercises to help you feel more grounded and centered while you’re coping with a traumatic event.

National tragedies are, sadly, becoming increasingly common events. If you’re needing support, you can use these tips and telemedicine options to help get you through a difficult and challenging time.

More than 43.8 million people in the United States suffer from mental illness issues every year. That means that approximately one in every five adults in this country experiences some sort of behavioral health crisis every year – and more than half of those individuals do not get the treatment they need. Luckily, huge changes are happening in the telemedicine world that can actually help improve access to treatment for mental illness. Read on to see how telemedicine is revolutionizing the treatment of mental health conditions.

Telepsychiatry is an offshoot of telemedicine that deals specifically with mental health, including psychiatric evaluations, therapy (individual, group, and family), patient education, and symptom and medication management. There are a variety of ways that telepsychiatry works – it can look like direct contact between doctors or therapists and their patients, or it can be virtual communication about treatment between an entire medical team. These forms of technology also work to ensure medical information is transferred safely to any appropriate parties for specific patients.

Advances in telemedicine and technology are allowing patients to access better and more convenient mental health care.

There are countless benefits to accessing telepsychiatry options. Here are a few major ones:

Convenience

Patients only need a computer, internet access, and a webcam to get access to their mental health providers. This means that virtual access can help individuals who wouldn’t otherwise be able to connect with providers for therapy or medication management.

Increased access

Individuals who live in remote areas, have limited mobility, or are just simply too busy to make it to in-person appointments can access help from wherever is most convenient for them (like the comfort of their own home). Patients are also less likely to miss appointments because they’ll be able to schedule them for a time that works best, without having to worry about lining up transportation or assistance. Additionally, because of increased access, patients can consult with doctors, specialists, or therapists that are in any location – no matter how far away.

Customization of care

Telepsychiatry can help treatment teams come up with the perfect plan to help their patients, completely customized to what works best for that particular individual. Assessments, notes on progress, and symptom trackers can all help provide valuable data to mental health care providers.

Decrease in costs

Patients who use telemedicine methods can avoid costly transportation and any other additional fees that are tacked on when visiting a physician or therapist in person. People can also skip paying for childcare services or asking for time off work since appointments can be conducted at home.

Better health outcomes

Patients using telepsychiatry have been found to need less trips to the emergency room, can reduce delays in their treatment, and have better continuity of care because all follow-ups can be done virtually with their therapists or psychiatrists.

Privacy

Because there’s still something of a stigma surrounding mental health issues, some people may feel apprehensive about seeking treatment. Telepsychiatry allows these people to get help all from the privacy of their own home. Some people may feel more relaxed and be more open to sharing their story if they’re in their own safe environment.

Telemedicine consultations can be carried out from the comfort of your own home, making it easier for many people to seek treatment.

There are many telemedicine options for getting help for mental health conditions. An increasing number of people are using online counseling options to get treatment for their symptoms. They can reach out to virtual therapists or physicians who can provide guidance all through video chats. Another great benefit is that medication consultations can be conducted with psychiatrists virtually, so that they can monitor how their patients are doing with their prescriptions. This process allows psychiatrists to view progress and stay on top of any changes in symptoms.

Specifically for patients, advances in telemedicine have added other options that can help improve the treatment of symptoms. For example, online support groups for those suffering from mental illness are becoming increasingly popular. Moderated groups that offer supportive environments can be very helpful to people who are needing to make connections. With just a computer or smartphone, patients can log onto these sites and often find almost instant support. Another helpful option is for patients to use apps to track their symptoms and moods; this data can be critical for a psychiatrist or therapist to determine what in the treatment protocol is helping and what isn’t. People can also use apps to help remind them to take their medications. This can be valuable for individuals who often have trouble remembering to take their prescriptions at the appropriate time.

With advancements in technology and improvements in the world of telemedicine, there are many opportunities for people with mental health issues to receive the help they need. Now, even if patients live in remote areas without access to mental health professionals, or if they’re too uncomfortable addressing their problems out in the open, telepsychiatry can assist in getting them the proper treatment. By breaking down barriers and providing consistent (often life-saving) treatment, telemedicine is continuing to transform and improve the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.

With advances in technology, there are more opportunities than ever to get your health care needs met with telemedicine. Instead of seeing a doctor in person, you have multiple options of consulting with your doctor, getting diagnoses, and managing your treatment all by using telemedicine. Whether you’re emailing with questions or having a video consultation with your doctor, telemedicine allows patients like you to access health care without stepping foot outside your house. Here are some guidelines to help you choose between using telemedicine and seeing a doctor in person.

Choose telemedicine if you:

Live in a rural area

Folks residing in rural areas used to miss out on getting the health care they needed if their doctor (or specialists) were too far away from their homes. However, with telemedicine, patients can access their medical professionals without having to figure out how to get to appointments. So, even if you live in a rural area, your health care needs can be met no matter how remote your residence is (or how limited the health care options are in your area).

Don’t have reliable transportation

If you don’t have access to reliable or consistent forms of transportation, getting to and from doctor’s appointments or trips to the hospital can be complicated and challenging. Instead, with telemedicine, you can contact your health care professionals even if you don’t have a way to physically get to an appointment. This is also a better option if you don’t have funds to spend on transportation or travel, since paying for public transportation can sometimes put a strain on your finances. Telemedicine can make getting health care both an easier and cheaper process for you.

Have mobility issues

Even if you have access to a handicap parking permit, it can often still be a challenge to get to the doctor’s office if you have mobility issues. Telemedicine is a great option if it’s too difficult for you to get yourself out of the house for appointments, because you can conduct all of your dealings with your medical professionals without ever having to leave your home.

There are many reasons why using telemedicine rather than in-person doctor’s visits might benefit you.

Don’t have time to make for an appointment

If you’re extremely busy and just don’t have time to make it to a doctor’s appointment, telemedicine allows you to schedule communications with your doctor only when it fits into your schedule. Plus, you don’t have to spend time traveling to the appointment or waiting in a doctor’s office. It’s also less time-consuming, because you can just email your doctors with questions or concerns instead of scheduling an in-person appointment.

Don’t have access to specific specialists or teams

Patients used to be limited to whatever specialists were in their area. But with telemedicine, you can access any specialists or health care teams that you might need for your particular treatment. That way you’re able to connect with the very best medical professionals for your specific needs – all without having to leave your home!

Can monitor your symptoms/condition remotely

If your doctor needs to be keeping a close eye on your health, telemedicine can be a great way for them to monitor you. There are devices that can be used to transfer your data directly to your doctor (like your blood glucose levels, pacemaker updates, etc.), so they can keep track of your data without you having to make constant trips into the office. Also, physicians can request that you send updates to them about your progress, which allows them to monitor your overall health even from a distance and helps them provide necessary follow-up advice.

Some conditions might require in-person doctor visits rather than solely relying on telemedicine appointments.

See a doctor in person if you:

Have a condition that needs close in-person monitoring

There are a few reasons you might want to see a doctor in person rather than connecting remotely through telemedicine. If you have a condition or diagnosis that makes it necessary for your doctor to monitor you in person, telemedicine might not be the right option for you. Sometimes there are tests or physical determinations that need to be made with an in-person office visit.

Want face-to-face contact for a better connection

If you’d like to make sure you’re forming a strong connection with your doctor, you might feel it’s necessary to see a doctor in person. This type of face-to-face contact can be essential if an element of trust is pertinent to your treatment or your overall wellbeing.

Aren’t comfortable using technology

You don’t have to be a computer expert to benefit from telemedicine. However, if you’re uncomfortable using computers or smartphones for email or video chats, you might feel more confident sticking to in-person visits.

Your insurance only covers in-person appointments

It’s a possibility that some insurance plans only cover in-person visits. While this is not common (most insurance companies can reduce costs through telemedicine measures), you should check with your insurance company to see if only in-person visits are covered under your plan before you start using telemedicine options.

Whether you want to access your health care team using telemedicine or you’d rather see your doctor in person, there are many options to choose from to make sure you’re getting the very best care possible.

Cancer could definitely be considered a global pandemic. In 2016, it was estimated that 1,685,210 new cases of cancer were diagnosed and that 595,690 people died of the disease. The most common forms of cancer in the U.S. are breast, lung, prostate, colon, bladder, skin, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thyroid, kidney, leukemia, endometrial, and pancreatic cancer, and it’s a safe bet that you know someone close to you who has been affected.  The treatment path is familiar to all of us, with radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy being the normal route for most sufferers. These treatments are quite harsh and, while they often save the lives of patients, they can leave some pretty serious side effects in their wake. More and more patients are opting to seek alternative treatments to complement traditional therapies; one of these is medical marijuana – which can now be accessed through telemedicine.

According to the American Cancer Association, studies on medical marijuana have shown that the drug improves symptoms of nausea and vomiting, neuropathic pain, and food intake. It can also help relax patients who are feeling stressed due to the pressure of their diagnosis and treatment. However, many patients can be turned off of seeking treatment via medical marijuana due to the stigma of the treatment and the difficulty in finding a specialist who can recommend the correct form of treatment for you.

This is where telemedicine comes in. It is truly the perfect way for cancer patients who need advice on medical marijuana to seek treatment. Many people are unaware of its existence, but if you’re able to Google your symptoms, you’re able to engage with telemedicine for treatment. Put simply, telemedicine is the delivery of medical or diagnostic advice through telecommunications technology. It has been around for as long as telecommunications technology has, usually being used in disaster areas or warzones, but now, thanks to the boom in smartphones, it’s accessible to nearly everyone.

Medical marijuana has been shown to have significant benefits in alleviating some side effects of cancer treatments.

Firstly, you’ll need to check the legality and availability of medical marijuana in your state. Medical marijuana is legal in 29 U.S. states as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Colombia. Seventeen additional states have laws limiting the levels of THC in medically available cannabis but allow access under certain conditions. The non-medical use of marijuana is legal in nine states, so no doctor’s documentation is required. However, it is still advisable to seek medical advice when looking to treat cancer with MMJ.

Many doctors are not familiar with the treatment process and those who seek treatment can often feel stigmatized, but telemedicine can connect you with a medical professional who specializes in medical marijuana treatment. You can simply search for someone who is a specialist and make an appointment with them. This will involve logging on, spending some time in a “virtual waiting room,” and then being connected with the medical professional you are scheduled to see. (Some services even offer drop-in appointments, so no appointment is necessary. However, your wait time may be longer.) You will use the camera on your phone to speak to your doctor via video about your cancer and how medical marijuana may be able to help. It is vital that you get recommendations as to which strains and forms of marijuana will be the most suitable for you in treating the specific side effects you are concerned about.

If you live in a state in which medical marijuana is legal, as opposed to non-medical use of marijuana, you will need some form of documentation to qualify you for medical marijuana treatment. This is usually a letter that is often referred to as a medical marijuana card or an MMJ card, and is available through sites like MMJRecs. Depending on the requirements in your state, it will simply recommend you for medical marijuana treatment, or it can specify the form and strain of medical marijuana treatment that you need. Either way, it will be signed, dated, and stamped by the medical professional you speak to on your telemedical appointment and will be sent to your home as an original document.

Telemedicine has made it so much easier for cancer patients to access complementary treatments like medical marijuana.

When you have your medical marijuana card, you can then visit a dispensary. If your state does not limit the type of medical marijuana that you can use, it is worth speaking to someone at the dispensary to get further advice on what forms and strains of medical marijuana may work for you. You are not just limited to smoking joints. There are vaporizers, edibles, creams, and oils that can help deliver MMJ to your system.

Now that the U.S. is waking up to how useful medical marijuana can be to cancer patients, there has never been a better time to take control and seek the health care that you need. As well as being convenient in terms of time, telemedicine also allows you to see a doctor from the comfort of your home, which will be useful if you are feeling especially worn out from your cancer treatment. Get onto your phone and make an appointment as soon as you can. It’ll be the best decision you’ve ever made.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to go to the doctor, you would have to literally go to the doctor. But thankfully, that is no longer the case. With the advent of telecommunications came the capability for some basic medical work to be done over the phone, mainly rudimentary diagnosis. Now, with telecommunication technologies having developed at astonishing rates, the capabilities of our telecommunication services have allowed a form of medicine called telemedicine to quickly develop and flourish. Telemedicine is the science of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention all done remotely through a multifaceted approach of audio, video, imaging, and text. It aims to help those patients who would otherwise struggle to get medical help due to their isolated location.

If you’re someone who lives in a rural area with no access to a medical health practitioner, or someone with limited mobility for whom traveling is difficult, then telemedicine is precisely what you need. No longer is there a need to travel great distances in pain to see a doctor. Instead, you can get care as quickly as it takes to call a telemedical center. At this point, you’re probably wondering what the efficacy of telemedicine is comparative to traditional medicine. We understand that however convenient the form of medical help, nothing replaces effectiveness when it comes to one’s health. Let us put your mind at rest: many studies have proven the efficacy of telemedicine to be comparable to that of traditional medicine in many areas. Your doctor will be able to advise you on when and where telemedicine is a viable option for you, but if you’re someone with a smartphone, you have a huge amount of technological power in the palm of your hand – and health practitioners can tap into that technology to help track, diagnose, and treat any illnesses or diseases you may have.

With telemedicine, you can have a virtual doctor in your pocket as long as you’ve got access to a smartphone!

Mobile Collaboration

Mobile collaboration technology provides health care practitioners in multiple locations the ability to share information and work together on patient issues.

Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote patient monitoring significantly reduces the need for outpatient visits and facilitates remote prescription verification. This has the potential to significantly reduce the overall cost of medical care for both patients and the health care system.

Reduction in Infectious Diseases

If the idea of a health professional contracting an infectious disease from another patient and passing it onto you has you squirming, you’ll love telemedicine! It eliminates the possible transmission of infectious diseases or parasites between patients and health professionals as they do not come into contact with one another.

Embarrassed By Your Malady?

We understand that some maladies are more embarrassing to be seen with than others. And if you happen to have an embarrassing illness, disease, or wound, the thought of sitting in a doctor’s office may be overwhelming. That feeling of overwhelm may make you put off actually getting the help you need. In this instance, telemedicine is an ideal solution to your embarrassment. You will still have to share information and video/images with your doctor, but you can rest assured doctor-patient confidentiality will guarantee it doesn’t leave your communications.

All you need is a smartphone or tablet to access the medical care you require.

Suffering From a Chronic Illness?

Suffering from a chronic illness is difficult enough without having to deal with frequent journeys to medical centers. It can be extremely difficult to motivate yourself to make those journeys, regardless of how helpful they may be. Delaying the treatment of any illness or disease can lead it to becoming unmanageable. But with telemedicine, you can alleviate some of your pain by receiving help from the comfort of your home. Subsequently, you’ll be more likely to have the motivation necessary to ensure you stay diligent in administering any drugs or care.

Telepharmacy

With telemedicine, pharmacists can deliver medical prescriptions digitally. It’s particularly useful with chronic illnesses that require repeat prescriptions. Telepharmacy pharmaceuticals can be delivered at retail pharmacy sites or through hospitals, nursing homes, or other medical care facilities – wherever is easiest for the patient in question.

Reducing Patient Costs

It is easy to see how the use of telemedicine can reduce patient costs by reducing travel costs, as well as reducing unnecessary health care costs for the government through more timely and efficient electronic doctor visits, avoidance of unneeded ER trips, and nonadherence. All this leads to lower health care costs for patients.

Extended Access

With many areas of health care now using telemedicine, medical practices can consult with niche, specialist medical practitioners when trying to diagnose or treat patient illnesses and diseases far more rapidly. This means diagnosis and subsequent care comes about quicker and leads to far quicker recovery.

So what are you waiting for? It’s never been easier to pick up the phone and get your ailments, illnesses, wounds, and diseases cured or managed all from the comfort of your home. And it’s all thanks to the wonders of modern telecommunications and the technological innovations they have allowed within telemedicine.

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!

Telemedicine (the digital diagnosis and treatment of patients) is revolutionizing medicine by linking patients and doctors while significantly reducing expenses for both parties. The efficacy of telemedicine has risen substantially in recent years thanks to developments in telecommunications. In such a fast-paced industry it can be difficult to keep up with its evolution, but we aim to ensure you stay on the bleeding edge of its advancements. Recently, the legalization of marijuana in numerous states has led telemedicine to offer patients an incredibly easy way to get medical marijuana.

Once upon a time, someone suffering from chronic illness such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, or Alzheimer’s could only find marijuana on the streets, and they’d be at risk of arrest just for possession. Now, anyone with an illness or disease that would be aided by the prescription of marijuana is legally free to obtain medical marijuana from many health practitioners around the country. This change in law provided people with access to government-regulated marijuana, where dosage and strains could be extremely accurately defined and prescribed, dependent on patient needs. It’s been a huge step forward for America, and a particularly huge step for medicine. Since the legalization of medical marijuana, the use of opioid painkillers and subsequent deaths from said painkillers has been significantly reduced.

However, a great many people suffering from chronic conditions are left so debilitated by their pain that traveling, or even leaving their houses, is out of the question. Until recently, an inability to get to the doctor would guarantee these people would not be prescribed medical marijuana. And so their pain would persist despite a known alleviator. Furthermore, there is still a climate of shame regarding the use of medical marijuana in some communities. This results in patients who are in dire need of a prescription forgoing one on the basis that they don’t want to be identified by someone they know going into a medical marijuana doctor’s office. They desire true anonymity.

Changes in the legalization of marijuana and the advent of telemedicine have gone hand in hand.

To further progress things, telemedicine has begun to allow medical marijuana prescriptions to be granted via telecommunications, including through websites such as MMJRecs. Subsequently, patients with chronic illness do not have to go through the pain or discomfort of traveling long distances to get medical marijuana. This is particularly important in states with a geographically dispersed population. But currently, not all states allow a medical marijuana prescription through telemedicine. Also, it must be noted that in order to benefit from telemedicine of any kind, you must be considered far enough from a doctor that traveling for an in-person visit would be difficult. Each state has its own ideas when it comes to telemedicine and the law, so it’s best to check your state’s legislation to figure out whether you qualify. A local doctor may also be of help in understanding the relevant state-level laws.

An established doctor-patient relationship is a requirement in medical marijuana treatment. States do not want doctors blindly providing patients with medical marijuana without first building up a detailed idea of their medical history and subsequently identifying a likely diagnosis that will be aided by the use of marijuana. Telemedicine allows medical practitioners to develop a relationship with patients who are incapacitated from the comfort of the patient’s home. With medical marijuana now legal to be prescribed via telemedicine, doctors are better able to serve their patients in a timely manner.

California’s medical board is certainly at the forefront of advancements in laws relevant to both medical marijuana and telemedicine, and they had this to say: “The initial examination for the condition for which marijuana is being recommended must be an appropriate prior examination and meet the standard of care. Telehealth, in compliance with Business and Professions Code section 2290.5, is a tool in the practice of medicine and does not change the standard of care.”

California is one state that has embraced the combination of legalized medical marijuana and telemedicine.

It may be surprising to some to learn that California is the only state where an explicitly positive policy regarding the use of telemedicine in conjunction with medical marijuana prescription has been laid out. This provides Californian doctors the ability to recommend medical marijuana via telemedicine without fear of losing their license to practice medicine or being sued.

So it’s clear to see that telemedicine is greatly impacted by the legalization of marijuana. With the legalization of marijuana, or any other drug, comes far more complexity in the laws and practice of telemedicine. As medical practitioners attempt to grapple with new laws and currently undefined ones in this relatively new and incredibly exciting area, there is likely to be some hesitance to go all in on telemedicine for fear of legal retribution. But as time goes on, the impressive efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine will ensure that the laws surrounding it will get properly defined, and that more and more health practitioners will feel comfortable exploring the myriad benefits this young form of medicine provides.

Telemedicine is on the increase. Over half of all U.S. hospitals are now using telemedicine in some form, and this figure is on the rise. More and more people – including professionals, patients, and medical insurance personnel – are seeing benefits from the development and increasing availability of telemedicine. As technology continues to advance, these benefits will become even more apparent and widespread. Let’s take a look at how telemedicine could benefit you.

We currently live in a mad, busy world, right? We want to live life to the full and we want immediate gratification. So when it comes to our health, we want that fixed as quickly as possible too! Convenience is a key word in today’s health care. If you want to consult with a physician sooner rather than later, or if you don’t want to – or can’t – take time off work, then consider how convenient it would be to access help virtually. This can be done by a simple phone call, via video or Skype, or with specific telemedicine apps. You chat to your doctor and they diagnose the problem and decide on treatment. If a prescription is required, this can be transmitted electronically to a drugstore of your choice. Hey presto, you’re on your way to getting better already! Rest assured that the doctor will call you in for an in-person consultation and/or examination if he feels that is necessary.

It’s not only convenient to operate in this way – it will also save you money. Money that you might need to spend on transport to and from the physician; money that you might lose in taking time off work; money that you might spend on pain relief or medication if you have to wait a few days for an in-person doctor’s appointment. We all like things that save us money!

For people who live in remote locations, traveling to the doctor can be difficult. That’s where telemedicine comes into play!

If you live in a remote area, or if you find traveling difficult or challenging for any reason (because you have reduced mobility, for example), the benefits of telemedicine are even more apparent. A virtual consultation clearly saves you time and transport costs. Time and money aren’t the only drawbacks here, though. Patients in remote and rural areas can often have trouble connecting with an appropriate specialist. Telemedicine allows your doctor to refer you to the right consultant for your specific needs, regardless of location. So in addition to saving time and money, you have the comfort of knowing you are being treated more speedily and by the best specialist for your particular problem. Remember that you will always be given a person-to-person appointment any time a physician deems this necessary.

Post-surgery care is another area where telemedicine could benefit you. Firstly, while you are still in hospital, your surgeon can receive information on your status at any time, regardless of where he or she is, and can then advise on any treatment or change of action that might be needed. Once home, health care providers can monitor you via video link and any concerns that you have can be voiced. Surgeons are supporting the increased use of telemedicine in surgical follow-ups. They know that good post-surgery care is vital to the successful recovery of patients and will make re-admission to hospital less likely.

If you’re one of the many U.S. citizens who suffer from a mental health illness, you will be aware of the difficulties in accessing help. Traveling on public transport, waiting in a room full of people to be seen by a doctor, or even the person-to-person consultation with your physician may all be particularly daunting for you. Telemedicine expands access to mental health services by allowing you to speak to a specialist via a video link, thereby avoiding situations that you may find challenging.

So many patients (including those with chronic conditions such as diabetes) can benefit from advances in telemedicine.

It’s widely accepted that telemedicine offers greater opportunity for patient-centered approaches – meaning that you, the patient, will benefit more from its application. Examples of this are firstly the fact that, as we’ve already noted, you can access help more quickly and conveniently. You will have a consultation and be offered treatment options right away. Any required medication can be collected quickly and conveniently, so your treatment begins immediately. If you are on a specific course of medication and need monitoring, or if, for example you have to take regular medication such as insulin, you can be remotely monitored to check that you’re taking the required amount of medicine or that you are following important instructions correctly. Information such as glucose readings can be viewed by your health care provider and any appropriate action taken. All of this not only helps your physical health but also your mental wellbeing. If you know that help is immediately at hand or that you are being constantly checked, you will be more at ease about your health. It’s a fact that telemedicine patients are less stressed and anxious and have far fewer admissions to hospital.

These are just some of the ways that the increasing use of telemedicine could benefit you. In conclusion, it’s also worth pointing out that telemedicine not only saves you money directly, but also in time, it will save you money indirectly. This is because we will see health insurance companies bringing down their premiums. Costs are being saved all the time in health care services with the introduction of telemedicine practices. Additionally, non-urgent ER visits are being reduced, as are hospital admissions and re-admissions and the length of hospital stays. Reduced health costs mean reduced health bills, which will ultimately mean a lower insurance premium for you.

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!