How Virtual Consultation Improves Access to Healthcare Services
Telemedicine includes a variety of technologies and tools that provide virtual consultation and healthcare to patients in the comfort of their own homes. Telemedicine or teleconsultation refers to the many ways in which technology can be used to connect with a doctor and talk to a doctor online without being in the same room or in close proximity to the doctor. Teleconsultation is possible through phone, video call, email, or text message. Telemedicine is a result of the intersection between modern technology and medicine, and it allows you to get treatment and diagnosis while sitting in one’s own home just through just a few clicks. Virtual consultation or online health consultation has made healthcare very accessible, convenient, and comfortable for patients.
How Do Online Health Consultations Take Place?
- Via Phone Or Video Calls – As a part of online health consultations, doctors offer virtual appointments to patients wherein patients can talk to a doctor online through phone or video calls. Details on how to access virtual consultation services are available from the clinic or hospital’s website. From there, you can book an appointment with a doctor that you prefer. You will then receive a link or phone number that you can use to contact your doctor at the scheduled time. As a part of this online health consultation, you can discuss your symptoms with the doctor or bring up any questions that you might have about your condition.
- Via Patient Portal – Patient Portal is a system that allows you to send and receive emails from doctors and nurses. This is essentially a secure website that provides 24/7 access to your personal health-related information using a secure username and password. You can use it to request a prescription refill or schedule an appointment. You can also share lab or imaging test results with your doctor through the patient portal and receive medical guidance and input from your doctor.
How Do Virtual Consultations Improve Access to Healthcare Services?
Virtual consultations have numerous benefits that help improve patient’s access to healthcare services. The following are some of them:
1. Accessible and Convenient
Medical services delivered through virtual consultations are easily accessible and more convenient for patients wherever they are. Online health consultations eliminate the time and effort required to meet with a doctor in person. Instead, you can get the same medical advice and treatment from the comfort of your own home.
2. Inexpensive
Access to telemedicine can prove to be cost-effective for patients, healthcare providers, and health insurers. Remote diagnosis and treatment using communication technology save the cost of frequent hospital visits. Online health consultation right when you need medical advice can also help reduce the frequency of non-urgent emergency visits and travel costs.
3. Easy Access to Specialists & Experts
Telemedicine makes it easier for patients living in remote and rural areas to access specialists and medical professionals who are located far away. Distance and commuting are no longer factors that act as a hindrance in accessing telemedicine services.
4. Increased Patient Involvement
When patients are not entirely committed to their recovery or treatment, healthcare costs, both financial and non-monetary, are high for everyone involved. Through virtual consultations, you can ensure deeper patient engagement through care plans and regular follow-up appointments. Telemedicine helps patients reach their doctors with minimal effort and keeps them informed of signs of recovery and treatment.
5. Allows For More Flexibility
Online health consultations eliminate the need to take a day or half-day off to see a doctor. Telemedicine is typically a voice or video call, so you can talk to your doctor in the office, during breaks, or before or after work. You can talk to your doctor anytime, anywhere without taking time out of your busy schedule.
6. Eliminates Worries About Childcare And Nursing Care
People, especially women, often put off seeing a doctor because it is difficult to take time off from caring for children or the elderly. If you are the sole caregiver for a child or an elderly person, you may need to arrange for someone to look after your dependents while you visit a doctor. This can be avoided through online health consultations, where you can talk to a doctor online via the phone or video call from home itself.
7. Can Lower Your Chances Of Contracting An Infection
Visiting hospitals and clinics increases the chances of infection. Especially with the outbreak of the pandemic, telemedicine is the best and most convenient option if you are at high risk and susceptible to infection due to age or other factors.
8. Easy Healthcare for Chronically Ill Patients
Virtual consultations can be very helpful for chronically ill patients, as information about symptoms, recovery, or deterioration can be easily communicated to medical professionals using technology and communication tools. Online health consultations also make it easier to monitor and track the health of chronically ill patients, allow for more frequent follow-up appointments, and help save time, effort, and money.
9. Dependable During Odd Hours
Infants often get sick during the night and have high fevers. Virtual consultation is a very convenient option when your child needs urgent advice or diagnosis. Online health consultations allow parents to get instant access to doctors and get prescriptions if needed.
10. Better Health Outcomes
Once issues like busy schedules or having to travel to the doctor’s are out of the way because of online health consultations, you will be able to see your doctor as needed without delays. This can help you improve your lifestyle and medication management, and help you cope better with illnesses.
Offering both convenience and cost-effectiveness, online health consultation is a trusted and popular choice for patients. Access to telemedicine has a positive impact on health since it improves people’s access to healthcare and relieves much of the stress associated with the health of oneself and one’s family.
Who Can Benefit From Online Health Consultations?
Everyone can benefit from an online medical consultation. Telephone consultations are convenient for people who cannot or do not want to spend time and effort going to a hospital or clinic. People who live in a remote area, far from a clinic, have limited mobility, and have limited time or access to transportation can benefit from virtual consultation. Not just time-saving online medical consultations are considered cost-effective as well. Telemedicine can help all those who prefer to receive medical care from the comfort of their home. Due to their wide-ranging benefits, online medical consultations have become the need of the hour in today’s world. Below are some examples of where online health consultation can be very useful:
- If you have general medical problems such as headaches, sore throats, back pain, or digestive problems, and need diagnosis and medication for the same.
- If you need regular checkups after treatment or follow-up for chronic diseases.
- When you want to quickly restock your medicines or short-term prescriptions
- If you cannot go out due to health reasons or bad weather
- If you need to see a doctor on holidays, weekends, or at unusual hours during the night.
- Online health consultations are also useful if you want to share your blood pressure or blood sugar levels with your doctor, or if you are planning an initial consultation or follow-up treatment.
Talk To A Doctor Online In Dubai | First Response Healthcare
Through First Response Healthcare (FRH), you can easily book an online health consultation and ask questions to a doctor online. No matter what your query is you can surely ask FRH’s doctors about anything online and get further information on the next steps to be performed as well. FRH is one of Dubai’s leading home healthcare companies, offering a range of healthcare services including virtual consultations with experienced doctors. FRH has also received the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission International Standards for Quality Home Healthcare Services.
FRH has a team of DHA-licensed, experienced, and trained doctors who offer virtual consultation 24/7. Our doctors work in shifts and offer services all year round, including weekends and holidays. Our medical team provides diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of conditions, from fevers, colds, migraines, and allergic reactions to respiratory, chronic, gastrointestinal, and skin problems. After making an appointment, you can speak with your doctor from the comfort of your own home via audio or video call. If you’re looking to get your Asking your desired questions online with a doctor to get all your queries solved has never been easier.
How Can You Book A Virtual Consultation Through FRH?
- Call 0505050387 or 800DIALDOC to schedule an online health consultation with a doctor.
- You can also schedule a virtual consultation and talk to a doctor online by visiting: https://firstresponsehealthcare.com/ae/dubai
- You can choose your preferred doctor from our team of internationally trained doctors, and we will arrange an appointment with them.
- We will schedule an appointment with your doctor at a time that is convenient for you.
- All you need to do is log into your account at the scheduled time for the appointment.
- We offer a free follow-up virtual consultation after 7 days of your first appointment.
- We ensure that your appointment with the doctor is through HD-quality video.
- We make sure your calls and chats with us are end-to-end encrypted.
- You can send messages, photos, and reports to your doctor for reference. All of these will remain confidential.
- Your doctor will send you a prescription at the end of your virtual consultation appointment.
- Consultation time is about 30 minutes, and we refer complex cases and emergency patients to other facilities if required.
- We offer teleconsultation services in English and Arabic.
To book a virtual consultation and talk to a doctor online, all you need to do is call on 0505050387 or 800DIALDOC. You can also book an appointment online by visiting https://firstresponsehealthcare.com/ae/dubai