Have you been needing to see the doctor but don’t want to make a trip into the office? Today’s technology makes it easy for you to access great service from medical professionals without leaving the comfort of your own home. You can have telemedicine appointments with your doctor and even with your hearing health specialist.
What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine is a way to talk to your doctor or specialist without actually going into the doctor’s office. It’s a virtual meeting you can have over the phone or on a video call. Telemedicine is a great way to talk to your doctor for:
- follow up appointments
- consultations about your medication
- questions about your health
- small issues with your hearing devices
- any concerns you have that don’t require a physical examination
There are some appointments you’ll need to have in person, but telemedicine appointments can make it easy to see the doctor whenever you need to.
The Benefits of Telemedicine
One of the main benefits of telemedicine is that it will save you a lot of time and effort. You don’t need to arrange a ride to the doctor’s office, or spend time commuting to your appointment. It’s a great way to ask questions about your health or your hearing technology. For example, a quick call to your hearing aid specialist can help you troubleshoot a small problem with your devices, and you’ll be able to solve the issue without leaving the house.
If you have a hearing loss, a telemedicine appointment may make it easier to follow the conversation and hear what your doctor is saying. When you’re in the office, there may be background noise, people talking in the hallways, and other distracting sounds that can make it hard to hear what’s being said.
When you have a telemedicine appointment, you can have the appointment in the quiet of your own home. You’ll be able to focus on what the doctor is saying, and hear every word of the conversation.
Is Telemedicine Covered by Your Insurance?
Each health care plan is different, and not all plans cover the cost of telemedicine appointments. Before you make your next telemedicine appointment, it’s a good idea to find out if you’ll have insurance coverage or if you’ll need to pay for the appointment out-of-pocket. Call your insurance provider to find out exactly what’s covered by your plan.
Tips for Your Next Telemedicine Appointment
If you have hearing loss, you may have some difficulty hearing during phone calls or video calls. This might make it harder to hear at your next telemedicine appointment. But don’t worry, these tips will help you hear when you have a virtual meeting with your doctor.
- Make sure you have quality speakers so that you have good sound quality.
- Have a video call rather than just an audio call. Seeing your doctor’s face can make it a lot easier to follow what’s being said. It will also help you pick up on non-verbal cues like facial expressions and hand gestures.
- Turn off any and all background sounds, like the radio or TV. Take the call in a quiet room where you won’t be distracted or interrupted.
- Tell the doctor if you haven’t understood something, and ask them to repeat what was said.
- Remember that you can always ask the doctor to slow down or rephrase something you didn’t understand.
- Use a closed captioning program or a speech to text program so you can read what your doctor is saying.
Another tip to help you at your next telemedicine appointment is to ask a family member to join you for the appointment. They can help you by taking notes, asking more questions, and making sure you’ve consulted the doctor about everything you wanted to talk about.
Hearing Aids Can Help
Are you ready to try telemedicine? Your hearing aids can help you hear clearly during telemedicine appointments. Your hearing aids have advanced programs that help you focus on what’s being said. They’ll also reduce any background noise around you to help you hear clearly. Do you have hearing aids with connectivity features? You can stream audio from your phone or your computer right to your hearing aids! You’ll hear the conversation directly in your ears so that you’ll easily hear every word.
If you’re interested in hearing aid treatment options and how they can benefit you, contact us today! We provide comprehensive hearing health services and we’re here to help.