What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine has finally been approved in California. Many states have been using this means of patient visits for 40% of their normal patient follow up visits even before COVID19 started. Our Telemedicine visits are done over your phone through the Doximity app or on a laptop or computer that has camera and speaker access. It is a normal office visit done in a Facetime manner. Your providers will see you through the video and you will see them. There will be no recordings of the visit.
What are the benefits?
This will be a long-time benefit for patients to be able to have their doctors’ visits from the comfort of their own homes, on lunch breaks at work and even when they are on vacation. Telemedicine can increase efficiency of care and timeliness of available appointments. Telemedicine visits have less down time for patients. We still get to see our patients smiling faces. We were able to extend our hours. We have made Monday through Saturday available for these types of visits.
What to expect?
You are never alone with our office. When scheduling a Telemedicine visit the staff will help you decide whether you want to have your appointment from the use of your phone through Doximity. The staff offers to email instructions for Doximity and they will also go over briefly how to use Doximity.
The day before the scheduled visits, our LVN or MA will call the patient and prepare the chart in order to best prepare the Provider for your visit. This includes:
The reason why the patient is being seen
Asking height, weight, blood pressure and temperature (if patient has available)
Review and update medications
Review any visits patients had outside our office, this way we can request those visit notes
The LVN or MA will confirm that you will know how to access either by Doximity.
The day of the visit the Provider will either send you a text message to accept the terms of Doximity and once you do it will connect you and the Provider on your phone just like if you were doing face time.
What Visit Types Can I Schedule for Telemedicine Appointments?
Sick- Cough, Cold, Vomiting, Diarrhea
Allergies
Rashes/Skin issues- It is most helpful when patients take photos (and your initials and Date of Birth) and email them to backoffice@atigafamilypractice.com the day before their appointment to have the photos uploaded in the chart.
Medication Checks- We can do all follow up Medication Refill Visits. Although, we prefer to have patients with Blood Pressure checks to be in office if possible, unless they have a machine at home.
Referrals
Injuries- we can email patients orders for X-rays, CTs, MRI, Etc.
New Patients- We request the new patient packet to be completed, complete a medication list with the medication name, strength and how often you take the medication, a release signed for your previous Provider, so that we can request medical records.
Labs- We can send the orders to the Lab electronically.
Annual Visits- Especially for our Seniors and High-Risk patients, they should avoid going out in public when possible.
Well Child Visits- We can do the Well Child though videos (We prefer ages 2 and up for developmental screening) but Prefer
Urgent Care and ER follow ups- NOT Hospital Admissions.
What appointments MUST be in office Face to Face?
If you do not have access to a computer or phone for a Telemedicine Video Appointment.
Chest Pain
Follow up Pneumonia
Pre op EKG- Men please shave your chest for EKG’s.
Hospital Admission Follow Up’s
Blood Pressure Follow Up’s
Well Woman- Paps
UTI’s
Abdominal Pain
Pregnancy Test
Ear Infections/ Pain- We cannot see in the ear over the video.