It became possible to consult a doctor from the comfort of your own home in just a few clicks. But what is less known is that teleconsultation doesn’t stop there and actually enables much more. It makes possible a true care journey in which prescription is an integral part. Here’s how it works!
What Telehealth Visits Allow
The concept is fairly simple on paper and has existed only on the margins for decades, but teleconsultation took on a new dimension with the rise of the internet. Modern connected devices (computers, tablets, and smartphones) paired with high-speed broadband make telehealth as smooth as an in-office visit.
An online visit lets you perform most of the essential checks that allow a physician to reach a diagnosis. You’ll need to share as many useful details as possible, since that’s the basis on which the doctor will form a diagnosis. The method of exchange can vary by platform. Some offer audio or video calls, while others use a form-based exchange for the patient to fill out. In all cases, the goal is the same.
However, telehealth does not yet permit all medical examinations, especially physical auscultation. This is particularly true for visits to specialists (ophthalmologist, ENT, gynecologist, urologist, etc.), who typically require more specialized equipment than a general practitioner.
Getting and Issuing a Prescription During a Telehealth Visit
While establishing a precise diagnosis is a necessary prerequisite, a consultation also aims to determine the appropriate treatment for the problem that has been identified. For this reason, in many cases (not always), if the physician deems it necessary, they may prescribe one or more treatments at the end of the consultation.
In telehealth specifically, the process is fairly straightforward. While not all platforms offer this option, some allow a doctor online to send a prescription. For example, Livi or Quare provide the document in your personal space after a video consultation. Another platform, such as DoktorABC, offers online medical consultations and the sending of the prescription by email or to a mobile device after an exchange via a medical questionnaire. The platform also provides medical content and regular advice to patients.
The sending is done in a digitized form, almost instantaneous, and usable as-is in digital format (on your smartphone, for example). It’s also possible to print the document on paper if you prefer.
Using the Prescription and Renewing It
Once the telehealth appointment is complete and the prescription is issued, you’ll obviously need to use it. Again, nothing complicated. It’s essentially identical to the step you’d take with a prescription issued after a traditional in-person visit.
So simply go to any pharmacy you choose, with your prescription in digital or paper form, and present it to the pharmacist. Purchasing a medication at a pharmacy with a prescription from a teleconsultation follows the usual insurance coverage rules if the treatment is eligible.
Telehealth sometimes goes further by offering not only online consultations and online prescription issuance but also home delivery of medications. This service depends on the platform used (as is the case with DoktorABC). Thus, the entire care journey can be completed from the comfort of your home, from the medical consultation to the delivery of the treatment.
Finally, when a renewal of a prescription is needed, there are no major differences between the teleconsultation process and the traditional one. You simply have to request it from the prescribing physician or another. Thus, a first prescription issued during a teleconsultation can be renewed during a traditional consult, and vice versa.
And that’s everything you need to know about teleconsultation and how to obtain, use, and renew a prescription through this approach that, frankly, is changing life for the better.
Karla Miller RADIO
LIVE
