What is telehealth?

Hearing a lot about telehealth lately? It is not a coincidence. Telehealth is a great way to get the health care you need while still practicing social distancing.

What does telehealth mean?

Telehealth — sometimes called telemedicine — is the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to provide care when you and the doctor are not in the same place at the same time. If you have a phone or a device with internet access, you already have everything you need to get medical care or services through telehealth — you may be able to:

• Talk to your doctor live over the phone or video chat.
• Send and receive messages from your doctor using chat messaging, email, secure messaging, and secure file exchange.
• Use remote patient monitoring so your doctor can check on you at home. For example, you might use a device to gather ECG or other vitals to help your doctor stay informed on your progress. *

What types of care can I get using telehealth?

You might be surprised by the variety of care you can get through telehealth. Your doctor will decide whether telehealth is right for your health needs.
If you need care — especially during COVID-19 — it is worth checking to see what your telehealth options are.
For example, you may be able to get: **

• General health care, like wellness visits
• Prescriptions for medicine
• Dermatology (skin care)
• Eye exams
• Nutrition counseling
• Mental health counseling
• Urgent care conditions, such as sinusitis, back pain, urinary tract infections, common rashes, etc.

Benefits of telehealth

Although virtual visits may not be as common as traditional in person doctor’s appointments, there are many benefits that explain why this type of care is growing in popularity.

• Limiting physical contact reduces everyone’s exposure to COVID-19
• Visiting virtually can address health issues wherever patients are, even from the comfort of home
• Staying put cuts down on commuting, travel in bad weather, time off from work, need for child care
• Using virtual health care tools can shorten wait times to see a provider and expand the range of access to specialists who live further away

Telehealth is not a perfect fit for everyone or every medical condition. Make sure you discuss any disadvantages or risks with your doctor.
Get tips for finding a doctor who provides telehealth.

Disclaimer: *The reference to named video- and text-based communications software for telehealth is informational and not intended as an endorsement of those services.

Last updated: February 25, 2021 https://telehealth.hhs.gov/

** Chartiers Center provides telehealth services for mental health counseling. Call 412 221-3302 to learn more about how to access these services.