Normally, if you are sick you schedule an appointment with your doctor or head to an after-hours urgent care clinic. But did you know that you can receive medical advice anytime, anywhere without leaving your home? Telemedicine is advancing quickly in Maryland. Here’s what you should know about it.

The Basics

Healthcare providers have been offering remote services since the 1950s, but more recent technological advancements have helped telemedicine grow. It now includes online portals, video software for remote consultations, and apps managed by companies that offer telemedicine services.

Telemedicine allows you to discuss medical issues and symptoms with your provider in real time. You can receive a diagnosis, treatment, and prescription without leaving the comfort of your home. In some cases, providers can monitor readings from medical devices remotely to keep an eye on your condition.

The three most common types of telemedicine are:

·        Store and Forward. Providers can share a patient’s health information with other healthcare professionals or specialists in a collaborative approach.

·        Interactive Medicine. This live telemedicine is when physicians and patients communicate in real-time.

·        Remote Patient Monitoring. This allows caregivers to monitor patients using medical equipment to collect data on things like blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels.

How It Works

Telemedicine is very beneficial to many people, but it is not appropriate for emergency situations. If you require immediate, hands on care for things like broken bones, lacerations, and stroke/heart attack, you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For routine care, checkups and follow up consultations, telemedicine is a great option.

For example, if you think that a cut may be infected, a virtual consultation allows you to discuss it with your providers. Maybe you are on vacation and get sick, you can communicate with your doctor, get a diagnosis and treatment.

Even simple things like getting a new birth control medication can be done easily through telemedicine.  Colds and flu, insect bites, acid reflux, sore throats, stomach bugs and even pink eye can all be handled through telemedicine.

Telemedicine in Maryland

The biggest force behind the growth in telemedicine is the need for accessible healthcare. Whether it’s a remote location that makes office visits difficult, a very busy schedule, or concern about communicable illness, telemedicine offers easily accessible healthcare to everyone.

While it doesn’t mean that you will never have to visit a doctor’s office again, it does make it easier to see a physical for common issues. At Bowie Internal Medicine we offer telemedicine appointments to ensure that all our patients can speak to a physician at a convenient time. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!