Telehealth: A New Way to Stay Healthy

In the dynamic landscape of health care, the advent of telehealth has emerged as a transformative force, providing a gateway to accessible and innovative medical solutions, shaping a new era in patient care. Let's talk about it.

Telehealth and MUSC

We have recently described the potential uses of artificial intelligence in facilitating healthy aging, and AI is well on its way. But something here now and ready for use is telehealth. MUSC has been at the forefront of this area of medicine since the early 2000s. South Carolina is now a national leader among the states in this method of delivering health care to individuals and hospitalized patients in remote regions and those who are homebound.

What is Telehealth/Telemedicine?

Telehealth is a way to communicate with your physician without you actually being present in the office or clinic. This can be accomplished over a telephone, a smartphone using applications such as Facetime or WhatsApp and the WiFi or on a computer using meeting programs such as Zoom and the built-in camera/microphone technology. You and your physician or the designated physician's assistant can converse privately and securely to review symptoms, medications, progress or relapse. Everything short of a physical examination can be accomplished virtually and in real-time with telehealth.

Other Means of Communication

Text messages can be exchanged, and vital signs can be sent to your physician using certain applications with compatible measurement devices, like a blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter or thermometer. Sending your physiologic data to your doctor remotely is a way for your physician to monitor your condition without your leaving home.

Show Me More!

There are a plethora of sites on the internet that can educate you about telehealth, but one of the simplest to understand is the one prepared by Health and Human Sources (HHS). Watch the YouTube videos they produced.

Does My Doctor Use Telehealth? Does Insurance Cover Telehealth?

These are two important questions. The answer to the question about your doctor and telehealth can best be answered by calling the office or scheduler. Most physicians have found that telemedicine is an effective and time-saving method of keeping in close touch with long-time patients who have chronic conditions. Thus, your physician probably offers it. If not, and you wish to try it, then ask for a referral to a physician who does care for patients via telehealth.

Medicare and Medicaid in most places now cover these virtual, remote visits, but your physician will know for sure, or you can contact your insurance company and ask about it directly.

Types of Telehealth Appointments

The types of appointments best suited to telehealth are follow-up visits or those for maintenance of chronic conditions. Consultations regarding reactions to medications are also suitable, especially when you are able to show a rash via photo or video, as are receiving the results of routine tests. If the tests are for the diagnosis of a new condition, it is best to talk to your physician in person since a full explanation of the implications is important. It is not sufficient to know if the test result is normal or abnormal without a thorough explanation of the meaning and limitations of the test.

Which Diseases Can be Managed with Telehealth?

One of the good things to come from COVID was the discovery that patients with a variety of illnesses in a variety of settings could be well cared for without having the doctor and patient in the same room. COVID necessitated less person-to-person contact and enabled both doctors and patients to learn that their care could be conducted remotely. Emergencies and new and different symptoms require physical examination, as does trauma. Telehealth has limits, and they must be strictly enforced for optimal care.

Below is a list of a number of common illnesses that lend themselves to treatment via telehealth, and also how telehealth may be used for routine disease management:

• Urgent: colds, coughs, aches, pains
• Chronic: arthritis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, wound care
• Respiratory: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Infectious: HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, influenza
• Mental health therapy
• Physical therapy
• Lab or imaging results
• Prescription renewals
• Remote monitoring with USB devices

The Bottom Line

Medicine continues to advance in innovative ways. It is not necessary now to see a physician in person every time you need to have an appointment. It is possible, perhaps even preferable, in some situations to communicate face-to-face using cameras and telehealth instead of physical presence. This gives different meaning to meaning to face-to-face visits, but the evidence is in, thanks to COVID, that good health can be maintained with virtual visits with your doctor. However, there is no substitute for a real face-to-face visit that should occur at least annually.

Need a Telehealth Appointment?

Visit MUSC Health's Telehealth Services website to schedule a telehealth visit for urgent care or specialty care. For general scheduling, call 843-792-1414.