What is Telemedicine?: The New Frontier of Medicine

The world is becoming progressively more internet-centered, and the possibilities of moving more and more interactions and daily activities online are becoming a reality - and yes, this includes your healthcare provider’s appointment to check out that lingering medical issue.

Telemedicine is a relatively new buzzword in the medical arena, but just what does this new realm of medicine entail, and how does it work?

In this article, we will break down the official definition of telemedicine, explain how it works, detail some of the benefits, and show you where you can get started!

‍

Telemedicine Definition

The definition of telemedicine is “the diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunication technology.”

This means that there are ways to set up secure and HIPAA-compliant connections and communications between a patient and a healthcare provider, which can end with a diagnosis and prescription treatments for the patient’s condition (if needed).

‍

How Does Telemedicine Work?

Different telemedicine platforms may work a little bit differently, but in general, they will all start with a virtual consultation with you to gather information about your issue, then the healthcare provider will give you their medical opinion or diagnosis, followed by a prescription issued if there is a need for one.

Depending on the telemedicine service, they may also handle the filling and shipping of the medication to your front door for you.

‍

Here at Strut Health, we have the following steps:

Step 1: The patient goes to StrutHealth.com to complete our online consultation form and submits images if required.

Step 2: Patients are connected with a healthcare provider who will review the information and medical history within 24 hours. At this time, the healthcare provider may follow up with additional questions to ensure treatment suitability and craft a customized treatment plan.

Step 3: If a prescription is required and appropriate, the patient’s prescription medication will be filled by a U.S. licensed pharmacy and shipped quickly and discreetly to the patient’s front door.

‍

What is Telemedicine Used For?

While not all conditions and medical situations are currently well suited to move to the online realm, some issues can be easily addressed by having a quick and painless online visit with a healthcare provider.

The most common issues that you will see treated in the telemedicine space are those that can be easily and accurately diagnosed by a few questions and/or images from the patient.

This ensures that the healthcare providers examining the patient and potentially issuing prescriptions are able to give patients thorough and accurate medical attention which is very much in line with an in-person visit.

Conditions that require regular or complicated lab testing, are difficult to diagnose, or involve medications that need frequent dosing adjustments may be seen less commonly in the telemedicine space.

Some other interesting applications of telemedicine include:

• Follow-up visits

• Check-ins after a hospitalization

• Preventative care measures (smoking cessation, weight loss)

• Telemedicine for schools

• Telemedicine in assisted living facilities

‍

Here at Strut Health, we specialize in telemedicine consultations & treatments for sexual health and dermatology issues:

• Erectile dysfunction

• Premature ejaculation

• Female orgasmic disorder

• Hair loss

• Cold sores

• Nail fungus

• Acne

• Scars

• Melasma

• Rosacea

• Skin aging

‍

What are the Benefits of Telemedicine?

Telemedicine can deliver many cost, ease, & efficiency benefits to both patients and prescribers.

For Patients:

No lost time at work

No commute time or expense

No exposure to other potentially contagious patients

No time is taken out of child or elder-care responsibilities

Increased privacy

For Prescribers:

Increased visit efficiency

No time lost to late arrivals/check-in procedures

Fewer patients missing/canceling visits

Less of a time crunch

‍

How to Get Started With a Telemedicine Consultation

The best way to find telemedicine services online is to look for them through a search engine.

Usually, just typing in your current issue after “Online provider’s visits for…” will be sufficient to help you find telemedicine healthcare providers specializing in that condition.

You will want to try to look for online telemedicine services that seem professional and reputable.

Here at StrutHealth.com we specialize in Erectile dysfunction, Premature ejaculation, Female orgasmic disorder, Hair loss, Cold sores, Nail fungus, Acne, Scars, Melasma, Rosacea, and Skin aging.

You can Start Here to get started with your sexual health or dermatology telemedicine visit today!