10-25-2020 Aging Resource Guide - Flipbook - Page 25
3. Make an appointment.
Call your doctor’s office or visit the practice’s
patient portal (a portal is a website that provides
24/7 access to your personal health information)
or app to make a virtual appointment. The
office may have you download an app, and/or
will email or text you a link to click on about 10
minutes before your designated appointment
time. In advance of the virtual visit, you may
also have to digitally sign HIPAA (Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
and other consent forms on the screen, though
regulations have been relaxed during the
pandemic, and some providers may just ask
you to verbally agree.
If you do not have an established provider,
companies such as Teladoc Health, Amwell,
PlushCare, Doctor On Demand and MDLIVE
offer virtual visits. Be prepared to wait because
of the excess demand.
4. Describe your symptoms.
Depending on the app, you may be asked to fill
in or check off symptoms.
password that cannot be easily guessed and is
not the same as you use elsewhere. Approach it
like how you protect your financial information
and if possible, go someplace private in your
home during the session.
The Department of Health & Human Services
(HHS) says covered health care providers may
use Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger
video chat, Google Hangouts, Zoom or Skype
during the crisis, while having providers notify
patients of any privacy or security risks.
“Don’t be afraid to say to the doctor, ‘I am very
comfortable using FaceTime [or whatever
favorite you have]. Would you be?’” says Joe
Kvedar, a Boston-based dermatologist and
president-elect of the American Telemedicine
Association.
6. Be prepared to wait.
You may be placed in a digital waiting room
before the session with a doctor begins. (Bring
your own magazine.)
Source: www.aarp.org – Adapted from the article “A Step-byStep Guide to Using Telemedicine”.
5. Practice good security.
Ask your medical provider about the steps
taken to ensure your privacy. Choose a unique
We Make Independent
Living Easier...for You!
What you need...When you need it
• Boosting Recliners
• Scooters
• CBD Products for People & Pets
• Incontinence Products
• Durable Medical Equipment
Rentals
Available
(Walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds, etc.)
• Orthopedic Products (braces, etc.)
• Compression Stockings (Jobst)
• CPAP Supplies
• Bathroom & Travel Safety Products
• Exercise & Rehab Equipment
Delivery
Price-Match Promise
Celebrating 23 Years of Making Independent Living Easier
718 Main Street • Reisterstown (Next to Mr. Tire)
410-363-2279 • SuppliesForLiving.com
Hours: M-F 9:00-6:00 Sat. 10:00-4:00
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
2020 – 2021 Carroll County Bureau of Aging & Disabilities Resource Guide
25