My Telehealth Experience: The Future of the Healthcare Industry
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I recently had my first telehealth experience. Being a holiday in the USA for the 4th of July waking up at 6 AM for the third day with an ear ache that had only gotten worse overnight I was sure I was going to have deal with the pain and wait to get in touch with my doctor.
After being laid off, I recently acquired new insurance from the marketplace and thought I might be doomed to pay a large copay for a visit to the urgent care. Not only that but how long would I wait for this lousy ear ache? I logged onto my insurance application at 6:30 AM to try to uncover my best solution. Would it be to wait? Was urgent care going to be outragious? It turns out, urgent care would not be necessary — simply sign up for this telehealth service and a medical doctor would video call me in 10–15 minutes! I was relieved! I didn’t need to run to the local urgent care, or stir my families members out of bed to tell them I was leaving. So here I was shirtless, in my underwear and in annoying pain in my kitchen at 6:45 AM waiting on some stranger doctor. I know — a sight to behold!
The doctor jumped on the line, I later learned calling in from his living room in Florida, while I was waiting for my first telehealth experience many states north in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was kind and asked me to confirm a view personals. He then asked about my symtoms. I informed him I had taken a few over the counter medications, but my ear ache had only gotten worse these last few days. He asked about allergies, and my other medications. After a few brief other questions, he said he would prescribe an antibiotic. After confirming my pharmacy, he asked if I had any other medical issues, or medical questions for him. I did not. And just like that we were done! A total time of 2 minutes and 43 seconds! I could not believe it! That was easy!
Next up was following up with the pharmacy. To my surprise, everything was trackable right from my app! As I patiently waited for my pharmacy to confirm my prescription was ready, I could see step by step the process. The details that I was number twelve of the prescriptions at the pharmacy this morning to be filled, and I watched it as it went 12–11–10–9…4–3–2-and then my phone buzzed — my prescription was ready! Now this is the healthcare I can get behind. Heck…
