What is Telehealth Urgent Care? (All you need to know – 2023)
What is telehealth urgent care? How does one go about it?
Do you have any urgent health challenges? Connecting with your health care provider online is an excellent way to obtain the health care you require while remaining in the comfort and safety of your own home.
What is Telehealth Urgent Care?
Telehealth urgent care is a live, online, video visit with a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant for non-life threatening conditions such as fever, flu, cold, sore throat, and other minor ailments. Your provider will discuss your symptoms, answer questions, and, if necessary, fill a prescription via video chat.
When to see a doctor online
Use telehealth urgent care when you have the following:
- COVID-19, cold and flu symptoms
- Skin rashes and infections
- Pink eye
- Cough and sore throat
- Insect bites and stings
- Earaches and swimmer’s ear
- Seasonal allergies
- Sinus infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Yeast infections
- Nausea and diarrhea
- Minor back and shoulder pain
- Minor injuries, sprains, and strains
- Minor trauma, burns or lacerations
- General health and medication questions
- and much more
What is telehealth or telemedicine?
Telehealth is also known as telemedicine. It allows your healthcare provider to care for you without requiring an in-person visit to the office. Telehealth is primarily performed online using a computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access.
Telehealth care comes in a variety of flavors:
- Contact your healthcare provider via phone or video chat.
- Secure messaging, email and secure file exchange can be used to send and receive messages from your healthcare provider.
- Use remote monitoring so your doctor can check on you at home. For example, you could use a device to collect vital signs to keep your doctor up to date on your progress.
It allows you to receive a wide range of specialized care.
It is especially useful for tracking and improving ongoing health issues like medication changes or chronic health conditions.
Your healthcare provider will determine whether telehealth is appropriate for your needs.
The following are the benefits of telehealth:
- Limited physical contact reduces everyone’s exposure to COVID-19
- Virtual visits ensure you get health care wherever you are located – at home, at work, or even in your car
- Telehealth cut down on travel, time off from work, and the need for childcare
- Virtual healthcare tools can shorten the wait for an appointment
- Increased access to specialists who are located far away from your hometown
Must Read: What is Telehealth Therapy? (2023 Review)
How telehealth urgent care works
For telehealth urgent care, your healthcare provider may request that you send the following information to help improve your health:
- Your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, or any other vital information
- Images of a wound, an eye condition, or a skin condition
- A journal or record of your symptoms
- X-rays and other medical records that may be filed with another provider
Healthcare providers can send you the following information to help you manage your health at home:
- Reminders or notifications to perform rehabilitation exercises or take medication
- New ideas for improving your diet, mobility, or stress management
- Instructions on how to continue your care at home are provided in detail
- Motivation to stick to your treatment plan.
Some of the best telemedicine providers
Telemedicine services provide access to a wide range of care options, including primary care consultations, psychotherapy, physical therapy, and even some emergency services.
Here are some of the best telehealth providers in the US:
- Best for different specialties: Amwell
- The Best for membership options: Sesame Care
- Best for Spanish speakers: LiveHealth Online
- The Best for a free trial: PlushCare
- Best for quick care: Virtuwell
- The Best for Medicare recipients: Doctor On Demand
- Best for multi-issue visits: Walmart Health Virtual Care (formerly MeMD)
- The Best for visiting the same doctor: HealthTap
- Best for child mental health services: MDLive
- Best for referrals: Teladoc
Comparison of telemedicine providers
The table below compares the telemedicine providers in this article based on price, specialty, and other factors.
Name Price Specialty Prescriptions Service delivery Amwell from $79per visit
- urgent care
- therapy
- psychiatry
- online specialists
local pharmacy video call Sesame Care
- from$19 with a membership
- from$39 for a one-time visit
- primary care
- OB/GYN
- dermatology
- pediatrics
- dentistry
- urology
- radiology
- gastroenterology
- cardiology
- local pharmacy
- home address
- video call
- in person
LiveHealth Online around $59 per visit
- primary care
- psychology
- psychiatry
- allergy
local pharmacy video call Plushcare
- $129 for a first visit
- $69 for repeat visits
- general health
- urgent care
- mental health
- online therapy
- sexual health
local pharmacy video call Virtuwell around $59 per visit
- sinus
- cough & allergy
- women’s health
- kid’s health
- eye and ear
- sexual health
- flu
- skin and rashes
- chronic
- preventive
local pharmacy online form Doctor On Demand free or from $79per visit
- urgent care
- mental health
- preventive care
- chronic care
local pharmacy video call Walmart Health Virtual Care from $67 per visit
- primary care
- COVID-19
- urgent care
- men’s health
- women’s health
- talk therapy
- teen therapy
- psychiatry
local pharmacy
- video call
- phone call
HealthTap from $39 per visit
- children’s health
- women’s health
- men’s health
- senior’s health
- wellness and lifestyle
- sexual health
- mental health
- travel medicine
- urgent care
local pharmacy
- video call
- text
MDLive from $82 per visit
- urgent care
- primary care
- mental health
- dermatology
local pharmacy video call Teladoc
- around $75 per visit
- primary care
- mental health
- chronic conditions
- nutrition
- dermatology
- sexual health
local pharmacy video call
Telemedicine for Urgent Care
Telemedicine is changing urgent care for the better, allowing urgent care providers to provide patients with easy access to care from the comfort of their own homes.
Urgent care emerged as a separate clinical care entity in the 1970s to treat low-acuity conditions. The patient’s primary care physician or home health care system can provide virtual urgent care. To provide this service, many commercial direct-to-consumer companies have emerged.
Care delivered using telemedicine has been steadily growing in the US.
The convenience of tele-urgent care should be preserved to support improvements in access to care.
Workplace factors such as a strong information technology (IT) infrastructure, real-time IT support, an electronic health record, and a collegial work environment, often virtual, are required standards for urgent telehealth care to be effective.
Communication and active listening abilities are required. In addition, exam technique and teaching patients how to perform specific exam maneuvers virtually is a necessity.
However, patients and clinicians may have different expectations about what can or will be provided during a tele-urgent care encounter. Managing the additional tension that can arise during a telemedicine encounter is thus critical.
Conclusion:
Now you know all about what telehealth urgent care is. Take advantage of this information and have convenient and fast healthcare services online.
If you have any questions, do well to contact us via the comment section below. Thank you.
Related:
Do well to read the following related articles:
How to Get Medication Aide Certification (2023 Guide)
What is Emergency Dental Care? (Comprehensive Guide 2023)