Don’t Delay Your Care – Visit Us Online with Telehealth
Visit Us Online with Telehealth
By Evgeniya Larionova, MSN, MA, RN, FNP-BC
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the way in which we provide healthcare changed rather quickly. Healthcare professionals' main focus is to keep their patients safe. Therefore, we quickly adapted in order to meet this need by caring for our patients using telehealth.
According to the World Health Organization, telehealth is the "delivery of health care services, where patients and providers are separated by distance." This generally means that care is now provided to patients either over the phone or through video conferencing tools. One of the benefits of telehealth is that patients receive quality, cost-effective health services wherever they may be.
Using telehealth is a very convenient tool in supporting our patients and keeping everyone safe as the COVID-19 pandemic quickly evolved. I am fortunate to provide care to thousands of patients in the comfort of their home. The vast majority of our patients are not only receptive to these changes, but, in fact, preferred using digital technologies. We have been using video conferences and secure meetings to provide safe and effective care for everyone.
One of the best parts of practicing telehealth is the opportunity to get to know your patients in their home environment. Some of my patients are eager to demonstrate their fitness gadgets, resistance exercises tools they use at home, pantry items and their fridge content. I realized that telehealth taught me a lot about flexibility and resourcefulness and, hopefully, made me a better clinician.
I am proud to work in the weight loss surgery clinic and take care of our patients ensuring their safety during these uncertain times. Although, I understand that telehealth is not a full replacement for in-person appointments, it proves to be an effective way for engaging patients and improving their quality of life.
Our bariatric support meetings are now happening online on a weekly basis to provide ongoing check-in and resources throughout the COVID19 pandemic. Find out how to connect to our virtual bariatric support groups.