Covid-19 changed medical practice for the long term. Telemedicine has become part of standard practice for many issues requiring medical attention: managing chronic conditions and treating minor issues, some infections, and some contagious diseases such as the flu.
Our board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician’s assistants with Midwest Regional Health Services can diagnose and treat many ailments with telemedicine visits. Following are some types of conditions that we can treat via telemedicine.
Perhaps you have a fever and achy joints; you may have the flu. Going outside isn’t a good idea.
In another scenario, your child may be covered in red spots. You can send photos to us and your doctor can determine if they have chicken pox.
Coming to the office when you’re contagious exposes everyone there. During a telemedicine visit in the comfort of your home, your expert provider asks key questions, assesses your condition, and sends prescriptions to your pharmacy. They also explain how to take care of yourself and what steps to take next.
Your primary care provider can tell you how to take care of a minor burn, cut, rash, or other skin condition through a video visit. Because you can send photos of your skin problem, we can diagnose and treat the issue when you’re at home, saving time, effort, and the hassle of getting in the car and fighting traffic.
We can treat cold sores, acne, diaper rash, eczema, and other skin problems this way.
Does your child have pink eye? Conjunctivitis (the medical name for pink eye) is highly contagious. You need to keep your child at home to avoid spreading the infection.
We can diagnose and treat the condition remotely. At the same time, we provide guidance on how long to keep your child out of school, how to ease your child’s discomfort, and how to keep the infection from spreading to other family members.
Your doctor can treat a chronic condition such as migraine via telemedicine visits. At a virtual visit, you can tell your doctor about any new or unusual symptoms, any new side effects of medications, and discuss the frequency and severity of your migraines or other conditions. Your provider may adjust your medication. They may ask you questions about your lifestyle habits which can affect your illness and recommend changes.
You and your health provider can manage some of your diabetes care via telemedicine. We check your blood glucose levels and your blood pressure when you upload them into our patient portal. We review any changes in lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise during your video visit. You can send us pictures of any cuts or scrapes so we can advise you on how to take care of them at home, or tell you that you need to come into the office.
If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI), you know how quickly you need help. It’s hard to stand the burning pain when you urinate. You may also feel like you need to urinate, but you can’t.
As you describe your symptoms to your health provider, we ask follow-up questions and determine if you have a UTI. If you do, we’ll send a prescription to your pharmacy.
Sprains and strains are common orthopedic injuries. Your expert provider looks at the joint and asks you to move it in certain ways. We guide you through an examination of the injury and let you know if you need to come in for X-rays or if you can treat it at home with the RICE method: rest, ice, elevation, and compression.
Perhaps you’ve come in for a blood test or X-rays. At a telemedicine visit, your expert provider reviews your results and can now form a treatment plan, prescribe appropriate medication, and guide you on next steps.
Don’t use telemedicine if you or your family member is having life-threatening symptoms such as the following:
If you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident, sometimes injuries don’t present symptoms immediately. We advise you to go to the emergency room or come to the office, depending on how you describe what you’re experiencing.
Finally, telemedicine isn’t a substitute for an annual physical exam. We can detect early signs of disease before it advances to an acute stage. Annual physicals can help prolong or save your life.
Call Midwest Regional Health Services in Omaha, Nebraska, today for expert health care for you and your family.
