By Larry Garber, MD
Reliant Medical Group Internist and Director of Informatics

You may have heard about “virtual care,” or “telemedicine” but are not sure what it is. Virtual care is when you have a visit with your doctor or other healthcare provider remotely over the phone or using video through a smart phone, tablet or computer. You can see your healthcare provider and they can see you while you talk. While virtual care will never replace some aspects of a traditional face-to-face doctors’ visit, Reliant will be providing more and more virtual care during the COVID-19 crisis and long after we win the battle against Coronavirus. That’s because virtual care offers a number of key benefits to patients and helps caregivers, too.

Convenience. One of the biggest benefits of virtual care is the convenience. No need to ask a friend or family member to drive you to your doctor’s appointment. No worries about being late because of inclement weather or traffic. The entire visit can be done right from your home.

Security. Our telephone and video visits are totally secure and follow HIPAA privacy guidelines. You should feel just as confident as if you were inside your doctor’s office. Any data or information given will go straight to your electronic medical record, which is fully protected. Video Visits through SecureVideo.com, Reliant’s current video visit solution, are encrypted and private. The list of all attendees in your visit is always visible to you. Only you, your provider, and people either of you have invited can participate in your video visit.

Safety. Virtual care allows you to visit with your healthcare provider without worrying about traveling or being in a crowded waiting room with those who are potentially sick. This can help reduce your exposure to Coronavirus and other easily spread illnesses.

Flexibility. If your medical provider feels that you need additional traditional care in the office, you can always schedule a visit or go to one of our ReadyMED^SM walk-in care sites to see a clinician in person.

Remote Monitoring. Today’s technology has enabled doctor’s access to information like never before. Even while you are at home, your healthcare team can monitor key information about your health. This helps provide better overall care for you.

Studies show that patients are highly satisfied with the care they receive from virtual visits and feel it helps improve their connection with their doctor. One study of virtual care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, reported in the Harvard Business Review, showed that 97% of patients surveyed after their initial encounter were satisfied with the experience and would recommend the program, and 74% felt that the interaction actually improved their relationship with their provider.

We hope you will consider a virtual care visit when offered by your Reliant caregiver in the future.