Though telemedicine has been around for more than a decade, the most recent outbreak of coronavirus has led to millions of Americans seeking care by a doctor electronically, many for the first time. But while telemedicine can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by keeping patients at home and out of crowded waiting rooms, standing up and expanding remote care programs is only the first step.
To reduce in-person traffic to their clinics and to ensure everyone can receive care, Urgent Care for Kids is lowering the cost of their telemedicine clinics and enabling Webchat to more efficiently triage incoming requests.
As a bonus step to continue raising awareness about the virus, they’ve also enabled an interactive COVID-19 pre-screening tool on their website to help families understand when it’s appropriate to seek in-person testing at one of their clinics or be seen online.
“We understand that this is a difficult time for so many people, and we’re working hard to help families gain access to testing and remote pre-screenings,” says Melissa Bauman, Senior Vice President of Telemedicine. “Virtual care is an incredibly valuable tool to help families receive needed care from home and avoid unnecessary exposure.”
Over the past month, they’ve engaged in more than 13,000 text interactions updating patients with the latest COVID details, their latest protocols, following up on patient visits, and sharing the best take home practices to improve kids’ health.
We’re grateful for healthcare providers like Urgent Care for Kids who have gone above and beyond to ensure that everyone in their communities has access to, not only the most updated information on COVID-19 but affordable online healthcare options that help them to stay healthy and safe.