The world we live in today is quite different from the one we lived in in the early half of 2019. Since then, the way we operate, work, socialize and perform essential tasks from grocery shopping to doctor visits have changed.
Our offline lives have become online, as we open various applications to buy our groceries, pay our bills, attend work meetings, and schedule appointments for visits to the doctor.
Similarly, specialty online consultations have become part of the fabric of everyday life. Online doctor visits were a slow business pre-CoVid but have picked up steam owing to the dangers of physical contact, the virus, and the norm of social distancing.
You can visit online neurology specialists, book a visit for a psychological online consultation and a psychiatric online consultation all in one day, courtesy of telehealth and telemedicine.
Getting Online Help: Telehealth
Telehealth is the use of digital information and modern communication technologies like smartphones and laptops to access health care services directly from the comfort of your home or even your office. The point is, the services are remote. Telehealth can be extremely beneficial for patients and doctors alike, improving accessibility and quality of service.
There are several services which you can avail yourself through telemedicine platforms such as:
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Patient portal: you can communicate with your primary care clinic securely; protecting your private medical information. You can also communicate directly with your doctor, ask for prescription refills, review your test results and read up on summaries of your visits.
Lastly, you can also set up your appointments and request appointments. As an added bonus, you may be able to communicate with any specialists you see using the same platform if your clinic or doctor is part of a large health care system.
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Virtual appointments: This is the heart of telehealth. You can see your doctor via video conferencing in data encrypted sessions. Video conferences can be conducted over FaceTime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or other video conferencing platforms your clinic feels comfortable using. The appointments ensure that you receive continuous care from your doctor if you don't want to leave the house because of CoVid or are simply unable to leave home.
Your web-based visits are generally limited to minor illnesses, much like visits to drop-in clinics. Visiting an online neurologist is different from visiting an online Psychologist or an online Psychiatrist. The services they offer can be slightly limited owing to the nature of their field.
Specialty online consultations can be slightly difficult to carry out in full, however, this does not take away from the importance of the service itself.
The services you can avail through telehealth:
You can get the following services with an online neurology specialist:
You can also get general services such as:
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Online Consultations: to discuss your symptoms, or getting help with healthcare management.
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Diagnostic services: your doctor can order tests and scans which can be conducted remotely through online lab work platforms, and proceed from there to diagnose your symptoms accordingly.
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Patient education: it is important to know what your disease or condition is about. Many online telehealth platforms focus on educating their patients through their blogs.
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Second Opinion Services: This is a rare one, but platforms like NeuroX offer second opinion services to their patients so that they can have peace of mind and navigate their diagnosis accordingly.
Your visit to an online psychiatrist works a lot like online therapy. Talk therapy is conducted through various mediums, such as text, video calls, phone calls or whatever you are comfortable with.
In addition, your online psychiatrist will also help with medication management. For your psychiatric online consultation to go smoothly you will need a secure internet connection and any piece of smart technology.
Online visits to a psychologist work similarly to an online psychiatrist, save for the medication prescription. Psychologist conditions may consist of talk therapy over various mediums and other exercises, whatever your doctor deems fit for you in light of your condition.
Where to find your specialist:
You can consult an online Psychologist, visit an online Psychiatrist or schedule an appointment with a neurology specialist on a variety of telehealth platforms including:
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Online Psychiatric Consultation: Your best options for psychiatric consultations include: Neurox, Talkspace, MDLIVE, Amwell, Doctor on Demand, LiveHealth Online, Teladoc, Brightside, and Rethink My Healthcare. Each platform has its merits; you just need to find your perfect fit.
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Online Neurology Specialists: You can find excellent neurology services at Neurox, a telehealth platform that houses an excellent network of neurologists for services within the comfort of patients’ homes. You can also find doctors at the clinic, Apollo 247, and American Care.
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Online Psychologists: Your options for an online psychologist are numerous, including Betterhelp, Talkspace, NeuroX, and Mindpathcare. You simply need to find the best fit for yourself.