What You Can Expect From Your Telehealth Appointment

Telehealth, sometimes called telemedicine, uses video conferencing technology to allow you to have a virtual conference with the doctor. Although the technology has been available for many decades, it began to receive widespread adoption during the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you’ve never had a doctor visit by telehealth, you may not know what to expect. You can rest assured that you still get the doctor’s full attention. Dr. Daniel Rieders at Peninsula Integrative Cardiology explains what to expect from your telehealth appointment.

How telehealth works

Telehealth usually uses a video conferencing platform, similar to FaceTime if you have Apple products. This technology step allows you and the doctor to see each other.

You can use this video conferencing on a computer, phone, or tablet, allowing you to have your appointment virtually anywhere, even from a private office.

Telehealth isn’t appropriate for circumstances in which you need hands-on care. But it’s perfectly acceptable for medication follow-ups, lab test reviews or imaging, and monitoring chronic conditions.

What to expect from your appointment

When you schedule a telehealth appointment, you should expect to log in 15-30 minutes early; sometimes, Dr. Rieders’ schedule may allow him to meet with you earlier. Logging in early also allows you to be sure that your video conferencing is working.

He asks about the reasons for your visit. If you’re following up on medication or about a chronic condition, he may ask how well you’re doing. He likely continues your prescription if everything is fine with your current medication dose. However, if you want to try a different medication, we can prescribe that as well.

He can also address lifestyle factors that may contribute to your health. If you’re not getting regular exercise or eating a healthy, balanced diet, your health may be less than optimal.

What conditions can telehealth treat?

Telehealth is very well-suited to address many health conditions. Some of these include the following:

• Headaches
• Skin conditions, such as rashes or acne
• Anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions
• Gastrointestinal, such as constipation
• Chronic health conditions like diabetes

In addition, we can provide nutritional counseling, general wellness visits and offer referrals if necessary.

The benefits of telehealth

In comparison to in-office visits, telehealth has many benefits, including the following:

Accessibility

Telehealth makes it easier to seek a doctor’s help when needed. You don’t have to battle with traffic, find child care, or take time off work to commute to the doctor’s office and back.

In addition, many people find the financial cost of doctor’s visits to be expensive, and telehealth is often much cheaper – even if you have insurance.

Reduced hospitalizations

Previous research has proven that people with chronic health conditions are less likely to need hospitalization associated with their issues. 

By getting regular monitoring through telehealth, your doctor can be up-to-date on what’s going on with your health condition. He can also detect subtle changes that your health might be worsening.

Less exposure to germs

The Covid-19 pandemic made us much more aware of the risk of disease transmission we face by going out in public. Covid-19 is still around, although it’s not as common as it once was.

If you have a compromised immune system, in particular, you want to avoid exposure to germs that could make you sick. You may be more likely to have complications, even if other people might only get a minor cold.

If you haven’t had a telehealth appointment, there’s no time like the present to discover what it can do for you. You can request an appointment online today with Peninsula Integrative Cardiology or contact Dr. Daniel Rieders by phone for a consultation at their San Ramon, California, office.