I recently interviewed a friend and patient advocate, Kirstin Litz, to find out how she successfully set up her first telemedicine appointment in the time of COVID-19. This was her oncology appointment for follow up breast cancer care. I also asked others for tips on how best to conduct telemedicine and optimize patient care in the time of COVID-19.
Landline Vs. Mobile Phones for Messages
Most of us use mobile phones for the bulk of our everyday communication with friends and businesses. However, home phones and landlines are sometimes a preferred number to reference when filling out contact forms for medical offices to use as an answering system. This was the case for Kirstin. She knew when her oncologist told her the appointment would be a video call, the landline number was not going to work. In addition to the message left on her landline, she received emails via the application she filled out for her telemedicine appointment.
First tip: Be sure all messages received from your health care provider for your telemedicine are lined up and the same time, whether via phone messages or emails. This was not the case for Kirstin, so she went to work to coordinate her patient care in the time of COVID-19 so the appointment would run as seamlessly as possible. She experienced being kicked out of the online system a couple of times. After a new download, things began to run more smoothly. Because she called in a few minutes early she was able to remedy the situation, not be late, and utilize each precious minute of her consult.
The Safety and Efficiency of Telemedicine and Patient Care
Kirstin pointed out a couple of benefits of her online patient care appointment. While she was in the “virtual waiting room”, she was able to get some work done on her computer and feel productive while she was waiting. Even though she missed the physical contact of a handshake and hug from her oncologist, she also felt comfort knowing she was not being exposed to any potential carriers of the virus.
The physician’s assistant (PA) went over her health records. Kirstin pointed out it is helpful to have questions ready to ask and to know any medical changes since your last visit. The PA did ask her height, weight, and blood pressure. She was not able to provide her blood pressure since she did not have a blood pressure cuff. This might be a good time to invest in one during the COVID-19 pandemic with telemedicine seeing a big uptick in usage. Her oncologist was actually on video from his office with a dual screen pulled up.
Kirstin said the time was about the same as a usual appointment. They enjoyed some small talk and thoroughly covered her questions and concerns. When it was complete her physician said the office would call for her next appointment in six months. All of this was done through the private system set up through her healthcare system.
Other Patient and Physician Tips for Telemedicine During COVID-19
I reached out to other patient advocates and physicians for further tips and what not to do for telemedicine appointments. Here is what some of them said:
- I printed out my lab report prior to my appointment. I had a pad and pen ready with questions for my doctor and used the same pad and pen to write the answers from the doctor.
- Some wore make up as if they were going out to the appointment, others did not. A little fun fact!
- One physician responded and advised to consider submitting relevant medical records securely where appropriate via discussion with the practitioner’s secretary. Also, if this is a new appointment, verify board certification prior to the visit via the state, national, or local registry.
- Another medical source advised to have a loved one join you (just as you would for an in-person consult)
- Make sure you are in a quiet space without any distractions.
- Another physician echoed these tips but also advised not to do it while running errands, in the bathroom at work, or in your car. Interestingly, these were all true encounters! Wow!
Telemedicine and Patient Care: Our New Normal
We are now in the middle of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our medical appointments for most of this year and will continue to. I feel it is important to take away the positives and learn to maximize the tips shared in this blog from those who have had appointments or conduct them for their patients. This may be one of the benefits of the pandemic for future patient care. What tips can you share regarding Telemedicine and patient care in the time of COVID-19? I would love to hear from you.