Utilizing Telehealth for Winter Emergencies

Winter brings its fair share of struggles and inconveniences. Icy roads and low temperatures can make traveling difficult and dangerous, and mental health issues can heighten due to less daylight hours. Despite these difficulties, the need for healthcare does not go away. An effective option for people with health problems is to utilize telehealth during winter emergencies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and healthcare facilities were bombarded by patients suffering from the virus, making it nearly impossible for noncontagious illnesses or accidents to make it into the healthcare setting. Telehealth became a vital form of treatment that helped more patients be treated from the convenience of their own homes. Telehealth can lighten the load of doctors’ schedules, improve your symptoms quickly, and provide care for winter emergencies. TouchPoint Care (through CareXM) provides triage and telephone health for patients and providers, and helping patients is our passion.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth involves consulting with a doctor or medical assistant through phone or video chat, allowing you to receive care conveniently from your home. This approach eliminates the need for travel, providing the flexibility to be seen at any time. Through the virtual interaction, doctors can diagnose symptoms by observing you on the screen. For post-surgery or hospital follow-ups, telehealth proves beneficial, sparing patients the need to return to the hospital. These virtual appointments are typically brief unless there are urgent concerns, saving both the doctor and patient time. This streamlined process prevents overcrowded schedules for healthcare professionals and spares patients from lengthy waits for brief consultations, making healthcare more efficient and accessible. 

Avoiding Travel During Winter Emergency

Experiencing a medical emergency during a winter storm can be scary due to extreme road conditions. Traveling on the icy roads or with low visibility can be physically taxing enough that it exhausts you even more than suffering from an illness itself.

During a winter storm, many people who need medical assistance may not be able to make it to a hospital in those conditions. Telephone triage and remote care can solve this problem by providing patients with a way to get a diagnosis and prescription without having to leave their homes.

Saving Money for Common Viruses

While your symptoms may be intense and serious, they are most likely due to a common virus that goes around in the winter months. Common viruses and colds can be easily diagnosed over the phone or video call, which gives room in schedules for patients with more severe emergencies. Doctors can also give you prescriptions over the phone so that eliminates the need to travel in harsh winter conditions. 

Monitoring for Highly Contagious Diseases

As we learned from the COVID virus, diseases and viruses can be highly contagious. If someone was exposed to COVID or got it, they were required to self-isolate for several days and even weeks. This was to prevent them from spreading the virus due to it being very easily transmitted. There are lots of other viruses and diseases that are contagious that don’t necessarily need to be monitored in a healthcare setting. Remote monitoring is a great option for those who don’t want to spread the virus or infection but still need care. Physicians can assess your health and progress remotely to help avoid more people getting sick.

Mental Health

Another aspect of health to be concerned about during the winter months is mental health. The colder and darker months of winter can have a serious effect on mental health, including feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Telephone appointments can give people who are struggling with their mental health an equal opportunity to receive treatment. Mental health issues can often be put on the backburner when physical illnesses appear more important to treat. Telehealth provides an opportunity to talk with a medical professional and work through any mental health issue or emergency a patient may be experiencing. 

Telehealth with CareXM and TouchPoint Care

As the healthcare landscape evolves, continuous adaptation is crucial. CareXM stands as your ultimate ally in experience management, offering virtual tools to ensure optimal patient care. Our mission is centered on caring for patients, staff, and your business. Healthcare partners find relief through our triage, home health, and remote care products. Enhance patient lives by utilizing telehealth during winter emergencies. With TouchPoint Care, embrace innovation and elevate the overall experience for both healthcare providers and patients alike.