Telehealth offers senior citizens a means to more conveniently access healthcare services from the comfort of their own homes.
Telehealth, or telemedicine, encompasses virtual healthcare services. For example, a videoconference call between a patient and doctor, according to healthcare website aginginplace.org.
“If you’re looking for a way to feel more peace of mind without giving up your self-sufficiency, this field is certainly worth a look,” the website states.
According to AgingInPlace, some examples of Telehealth include:
• Live interactions: Real-time interactions between a patient or doctor to diagnose illnesses or discuss treatment.
• Store and forward: An application to record your health data, which will be sent to your healthcare provider to review. An example would be taking a picture of a rash and sending it to your dermatologist.
• Remote patient monitoring: A device that can monitor a patient’s data, like blood sugar, heart rate or weight, and forward the data to a healthcare provider.
Seniors can access Telehealth services in Sandusky.
Firelands Regional Health System offers the Firelands Virtual Care app for computers and mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
With Firelands Virtual Care, seniors can arrange virtual meetings with a health care provider.
“No appointment is required,” said Jordan Sternberg, marketing manager at Firelands Regional Health System. “Providers will see patients for a variety of minor illnesses and injuries, including a cold, cough, fever, flu, headache, nausea, respiratory infections and more.”
Once your healthcare provider schedules a virtual appointment, a patient can receive a text to remind them of their appointment. Once a patient enters the virtual appointment, they’re placed into a virtual waiting room until connected to the healthcare provider for the videoconference visit.
“Seniors can benefit from Firelands Virtual Care, especially if they’re concerned about an in-person visit,” Sternberg said. “A provider can speak with a patient, provide diagnosis, give prescriptions or even refer if necessary.”
