How Telemedicine Works

April 6, 2020

Due to the necessity of social distancing, there have been many adjustments to everyone's life and seeing your doctor is also one of the changes that many have experienced. Telemedicine has been an exciting and new way to interface with your medical team. It allows you to have a face-to-face interaction with your healthcare provider. 

What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine first began on landline telephones. With the advancement of technology, telemedicine has grown to offer services in a variety of ways. This includes online portals managed by your personal physician, video software that allows for remote consultations, and apps managed by companies offering telemedicine services.

Telemedicine isn’t appropriate for emergency situations like heart attack or stroke, cuts or lacerations, or broken bones that require x-rays, splints, or casts. Anything that requires immediate, hands-on care should be handled in person. However, it is very useful for simple issues and follow-up consultations particularly in patients with orthopedic or spinal conditions.

How does telemedicine work?

Telemedicine allows you to discuss symptoms, medical issues, and more with a healthcare provider in real-time. Using telemedicine, you can receive a diagnosis, learn your treatment options, and get treatment. In cases where it’s necessary, healthcare providers can even monitor readings from medical devices remotely to keep an eye on your condition. 

For instance, if you are experiencing back or neck pain, your doctor, via telemedicine, can evaluate your condition and recommend you to a physical therapist. If your symptoms also include neck or arm pain, your spine surgeon may recommend you begin medications, start physical therapy and/or coordinate your appointment for an epidural injection. Sometimes, you may have exhausted all of the conservative measures for your neck and back condition, in these situations, speaking to your spine surgeon about the risks and benefits of surgery can help you determine if spine surgery is the next step for you. Telemedicine can also be utilized by patients for many other common musculoskeletal conditions involving the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, foot or ankle. 

If you are experiencing weakness or unrelenting pain a quick telemedicine visit can help you get evaluated and set up for an in-person office visit preventing a trip to the emergency room with long wait times and sick patients. Telemedicine doesn’t mean that you’ll never visit a doctor’s office again, but it does make care more accessible and affordable in some cases. Plus, it can definitely help reduce the time you spend in your doctor’s waiting room and save you a trip from the dreaded emergency room.


How do I schedule a telemedicine appointment?

To schedule a telemedicine visit, please call our scheduling department at 877-MD-BONES (877-632-6637) or click here to request and a member of our scheduling team will reach out to assist you.