JetMED Mesa -Virtual Urgent Care Mesa is a safe and convenient way to get health care when you don’t need emergency help. It’s a video visit with an urgent care provider over your smartphone, tablet or computer.
The telehealth visit will be recorded in your MyChart account and shared with your primary care physician. It’s also insurance- and Health Savings Account-eligible.
Virtual urgent care can help when your doctor’s office is closed, or you have urgent but non-life-threatening symptoms like a fever, sore throat, minor burn, or sprain/strain. It can also be used as a pre-treatment step for in-person clinic visits, reducing wait times and freeing up valuable in-person time for patients with more complicated issues.
As healthcare continues to evolve in the pandemic, telehealth is an important tool that can be used for both acute and chronic conditions. Many hospital-based programs are implementing a virtual care option, allowing patients to use their smartphone or laptop to connect with a doctor remotely for an eVisit (video consultation). By streamlining the process of accessing medical advice, telehealth is a convenient, effective and affordable way to keep patients healthy and safe.
Virtual Urgent Care, as well as telehealth in general, bridges the gap between patients and their physicians. Cumbersome commutes to the doctor’s office or long waits at the ER can be replaced by a quick video call with an urgent care provider from the comfort of home. And, with a 91% patient satisfaction rating, telehealth has proven to be a great way for people to get the medical attention they need in a timely and efficient manner.
During a Virtual Urgent Care visit, you will be connected to a board-certified physician who will evaluate your symptoms and determine an appropriate course of treatment. Once the visit is completed, your physician will share the results of the visit, as well as any prescriptions or referrals required for follow-up care, through your electronic health record in MyChart.
While the cost of a Virtual Urgent Care visit is significantly less than an emergency room visit, it’s important to note that this type of visit should not be considered for life-threatening symptoms, such as chest pain or difficulty breathing. Using virtual care to treat non-emergency symptoms can help relieve the over-burdened urgent care clinics and emergency departments, ensuring that those who are most in need of immediate in-person medical attention receive it as quickly as possible. This can ultimately reduce healthcare system costs and the burden on our communities.
Saves You Time
Virtual urgent care (also known as telemedicine) provides an on-demand, safe, convenient and cost-effective pathway to health care. It can be used to support a visit to an in-person urgent care clinic, or can be a bridge between a patient’s primary care doctor and specialist or emergency room. In fact, one study found that virtual urgent care visits result in fewer trips to the emergency department than traditional walk-ins and saved patients more than $3 million in out-of-pocket costs.
When illness strikes, it can be hard to find the time to get to the urgent care clinic. It’s even worse if you wake up with a stomach bug at 1 am and realize your local clinic is closed until morning. Fortunately, virtual care is available to address the need for non-emergency medical attention at any time, day or night.
The benefits of a virtual urgent care appointment don’t end with convenience, however. Studies show that a virtual care visit can save patients up to 340 minutes in total, including the time they spend traveling and at the clinic. And for employees in the workforce, this translates to more hours at work, less absenteeism, and higher productivity.
Another benefit of virtual care is that it can help ease the pressure on in-person healthcare systems and urgent care clinics that are overburdened by demand during an outbreak or pandemic. By funneling many patients with minor illnesses and injuries away from these facilities, a virtuocare visit can free up space for those who truly need immediate in-person care.
To participate in a virtual care appointment, you or your child will need a smartphone or tablet with a camera and an internet connection. Before your visit, prepare by having a list of symptoms and a clear photo ready. You may also want to consider preparing your device the day before by ensuring it has a good battery life and that sound is working properly. And remember, this is a video visit, so you’ll need to be in a place where you can safely talk and listen to the doctor without interruptions.
Saves Money
Virtual healthcare is a cost-effective alternative to in-person visits for non-emergent conditions. By eliminating the overhead costs of physical healthcare facilities, providers can pass these savings on to patients. Cash-pay healthcare marketplace Sesame, for instance, offers appointments with board-certified urgent care providers at a fraction of the price of an in-person visit.
Another way virtual care helps save money is by reducing overcrowding in in-person healthcare settings. The CDC estimates that over half of all emergency department and urgent care clinic visits are for conditions that could be treated with telehealth, such as sinus infections, allergies, minor injuries, ear infections, sore throats and abdominal pain. By redirecting these visits, the system frees up valuable in-person healthcare resources that can be better used to address true emergencies.
Moreover, telehealth is often less expensive than in-person medical services because it eliminates the need for costly imaging and lab tests. It also removes the need to travel to a physician’s office, making it an appealing option for those who are too sick or injured to leave home.
Finally, virtual care is a much more affordable alternative to visiting an in-person emergency room, which can run hundreds of dollars for just one visit. And, according to a recent Cigna study, patients who use telehealth services are more likely to avoid ER and urgent care visits in the future.
NYP Connect is a virtual urgent care service that provides real-time access to a board-certified Columbia or Weill Cornell doctor through the mobile app. Appointments can be scheduled 24/7, 365 days a year for conditions such as ear infections, fevers, skin problems and more. The doctor can then issue a prescription electronically to your local pharmacy, which is convenient for out-of-town visitors or those on vacation.
All visits are recorded in your Epic MyChart account and shared with your primary care provider. Your care team can use the information from the telehealth appointment to coordinate your next steps in-person. And, if you need to transfer to an in-person urgent care or the emergency room for further evaluation or treatment, your virtual visit will help ensure that transition is seamless.
Meet Your Provider
Virtual Urgent Care is a convenient and safe way to get medical attention when you need it most. It’s perfect for daytime injuries or illnesses, late-night ear infections or fevers, and symptoms that you just need an expert’s opinion on. The service offers the same world-class care you expect from UR Medicine without ever leaving your home. All you need is a computer, tablet or smartphone and a stable internet connection.
After a short registration process, you’ll enter the digital waiting room and wait for a Geisinger healthcare provider to become available. Once the provider connects with you, they will ask you some short questions to evaluate your symptoms and then provide a treatment plan. A typical visit lasts 15 minutes or less.
You’ll then be asked to confirm your identity and address, so make sure you have these handy before you start your telehealth appointment. You’ll also need to be in a private, quiet, well-lit space where you can see your healthcare provider. This includes not being in your car or doing the virtual visit from a moving vehicle (it can be unsafe and distracting). You’ll also want to be close enough to hear your healthcare provider, so a private bathroom is a good option.
Your provider can also order lab work or X-rays and send your prescription directly to your local pharmacy. If they think your condition needs to be treated with an injection or a steroid shot, they can do that too.
A key benefit of Virtual Urgent Care is that your healthcare provider will have access to your UH medical records, and your primary care doctor will be able to follow up on any recommendations from the telehealth visit. If your condition requires further care, it’s easy to transition to an in-person urgent care or emergency room visit.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, online telehealth visits have become even more popular. It’s a great way to get the care you need, when you need it, so that you can stay home and get better faster. Just keep in mind that if you have life-threatening symptoms like chest pain, difficulty breathing or major bleeding, it’s best to head to an emergency room or call 911.