Doctor’s Visits On Your Phone? Why You Should Be Using Telehealth

 

As much as we all hate to admit, it is still very much cold and flu season. In our house, we do everything we can to stay healthy. My mom, who lives with us, is immuno-compromised and can’t handle getting sick. While we still get sick, just like everyone else, our overall illness rate in our house has dropped dramatically in the last year and I think some of these have helped that a great deal.

See some of our tips for staying healthy and what we do when our kids do get sick below.

Tips for Staying Healthy

Teach Your Kids Not To Share. While sharing is a valuable life skill we strive to teach to our children, there are things we need to teach our children not to share while at school. Things that shouldn’t be shared include hats, gloves, scarves, lip balm, drinks, and straws. For a little while, my older daughter was getting sick all of the time. I found out she and her friends were sharing lunches and swapping food and drinks at school. When she stopped sharing these things, she stopped getting sick so often.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep. One of the best things you can do for your child’s immune system is to make sure they are rested. Sleep allows the body to restore itself and is vital in preventing illness.

Practice Proper Hygiene Habits. Gently remind your kids to keep their fingers out of their noses and mouths. Kids are going to get sick enough without introducing bacteria straight into their body through the mouth.

Frequently Wash Your Hands. Teach your children the proper way to wash their hands. My father worked in a hospital throughout my childhood and always told me to lather up good with soap and sing the ABCs while I wash my hands.

Cover Your Mouth. This can be such a hard thing for kids to grasp, but covering your coughs and sneezes can help prevent a lot of illnesses.

Stock Their Backpack With Hand Sanitizer. It is always a good idea to provide your child with a quick and efficient way to clean their hands after recess. My older daughter has a small bottle of hand sanitizer clipped to her backpack to use when she needs it.

Make Your Kids Wash Their Hands Right When They Come Home. The first thing I do when my elementary-aged daughter comes home from school is to make her wash her hands. There is no point in letting her transfer germs from school to our home.

 

You know it is going to happen. No matter what you do, eventually someone at your house is going to get sick.

The most obvious solution is to drag your family down to the doctor’s office and wait to see a doctor, the whole time exposing your family to whatever other germs may be in the office. While it is sometimes a necessary scenario, it isn’t the most ideal one.

I have a little one who is prone to ear infections. She has had them so often that I know exactly how they affect her and exactly what she needs to get over them. It can be so frustrating to drag a sick child to the doctor, only to wait in the waiting room, and then wait in the appointment room, and then run to the pharmacy and wait for them fill your prescription. There has to be an easier way, right?

Save Time at the Doctor’s Office by Using Telehealth

For my daughter’s latest ear infection we decided to use Amwell’s Telehealth app to see a doctor right from the comfort of our living room. It was a Sunday afternoon and our only option was an urgent care which can be pricey—even with insurance—or Telehealth. I chose Telehealth.

I downloaded the app, signed up for the service, input my daughter’s information, and in less than 10 minutes we were talking face to face with a doctor. Can you remember the last time you actually saw a doctor with a wait time that short? I can’t.

What is a Telehealth Visit Like?

I was worried that Telehealth would be so impersonal, that it would feel like the doctor on the other end was robotic and didn’t care about my questions or concerns. We had completely the opposite experience. The wonderful doctor communicated with both me and my daughter, smiled at her, talked straight to her and made her feel comfortable. She listened intently to what I had to say about her symptoms and asked questions to help her know what needed to be done.

 

Can a Telehealth Visit Treat My Condition?

While the doctor can’t do everything over an app, they are able to diagnose so many of the basic common maladies. She was able to see the drainage from my daughter’s ear and know exactly what she needed. She asked me what pharmacy I needed the medicine called into and I received a phone call from my pharmacy telling me the prescription was ready shortly after our visit ended. You can view all of the conditions they can treat here.

Some of the common conditions they treat include pink eye, strep, cold sores, headaches and UTIs. 

When Can I Use Telehealth?

Amwell doctors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can see a doctor whenever you need. It didn’t matter that it was a Sunday, we were able to see a doctor immediately. I love knowing that I have options at 3 AM if I need them.

What Does a Telehealth Visit Cost?

The visit was also affordable. Sometimes when we go to the doctor we don’t know how much we are going to end up being charged. With Amwell, I knew the cost upfront. Nothing hidden.

Telehealth Discount Code for Housewife Eclectic Readers

Even better, right now you can use the code Amwell25 to get 25% off an urgent care visit. 

I never felt like the doctor was in a rush to get off the call. In addition to the medicine she prescribed, she walked me through suggestions to help make my daughter more comfortable, and smiled and laughed with us more than once when my daughter was making silly faces. I won’t lie, I was really nervous to use Amwell Telehealth, but I will absolutely be using it again. It is such a great tool that every mom should have in her arsenal.

 

Find Amwell on iTunes and Google Play. Use the coupon code: Amwell25 for 25% off a $69 urgent care visit. Click here to get your discounted doctor’s visit. 

Have you ever tried Amwell Telehealth?

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Amwell via Momtrends.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Amwell or Momtrends.