When you’re sick, you don’t really want to do much of anything, much less get dressed and sit in a doctor’s office for a while until they see you. With the prevalence of telemedicine, a lot of essential healthcare services are just a few clicks away. Yes, even getting a prescription medication! With an online doctor service, you can get treated for a minor illness or have a prescription refilled without leaving the comfort of your home.
How Does It Work?
Telemedicine refers to the use of technology to offer people quick access to certain healthcare services. The process consists of a few steps:
- Choosing a platform that best suits your needs
- Setting up an account
- Choosing or being paired with a doctor (providers may have different approaches in this sense)
- “Sitting” in a remote consultation, where you discuss with the healthcare specialist at-length about your condition
- Getting the necessary treatment needed to treat your condition
Telemedicine makes it easier to get a prescription a lot more efficiently and quickly, than in a traditional setting. However, the nature in which these prescriptions are given is virtually the same. In other words, you can get a prescription only if and when prescribing medicine is the best course of treatment regarding your health.
Because there are some limitations to telemedicine, it also means patients can receive these prescriptions only for certain health conditions, specifically those that can be diagnosed remotely, to begin with, and do not require in-office tests. Some examples of these conditions can include:
- Flu
- Various infections, such as UTIs or ear infections
- Toothaches
- Herpes
- Seasonal allergies
- Refills for medication the patient has already been prescribed
What Are the Benefits?
There are some evident advantages of receiving a prescription through telemedicine:
- Saves a lot of time: a patient can book an appointment, see their doctor, and get their prescription all in a matter of a few hours through telemedicine, allowing them to get fast access to treatment than in traditional healthcare settings;
- Is more convenient: thanks to the nature of these technologies, the patient can gain access to such services anytime, anywhere. For instance, if you are on vacation and start feeling ill, you can quickly consult with a doctor and receive your treatment, no matter where you are;
- At the end of the day, it’s cheaper: through telemedicine, you save money on transportation, missed work hours, and more!
These are extremely compelling reasons to opt for telemedicine services. However, it’s worth noting that not all health conditions can be effectively diagnosed remotely, nor can you receive any sort of prescription.
For example, if you have been prescribed narcotic medication and require a refill, you will not be able to achieve this through telemedicine services.
Your Telemedicine Specialist Is a Few Clicks Away
WebDoctors is made up of a team of board-certified physicians ready to provide their time and expertise to you, through just a few clicks and no hassle. All you have to do is schedule an appointment using this form, and you’ll soon be put in touch with an excellent doctor who can diagnose your health condition and help you get better.