Telehealth Services in Vancouver, BC

Telehealth is the delivery of health care services and information via interactive telecommunications. This healthcare service allows for communication between patients and providers when they are not in the same physical location. This is achieved through various forms of technology, such as the Internet and smartphones. These telecommunication services usually combine audio and live, interactive video. This healthcare communication technology allows physicians to facilitate their patients’ diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, and care management.

Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients through telecommunications technology. Telemedicine differs slightly from telehealth in that it specifically refers to remote clinical services, whereas telehealth can also refer to remote non-clinical services.

Telehealth offers patients ease and convenience. Traveling to a health center for medical care isn’t always the easiest or most convenient thing for patients, especially those with a family to look after. A busy schedule also makes squeezing an in-person doctor appointment into the itinerary a bit complicated. Telehealth allows you to access healthcare services in a timely manner and closer to home. You’ll have less waiting time and less travel time with telehealth.

Over the years, telehealth services have become more and more common. Millions of patients around the world utilize telehealth services. Many employers also offer telehealth as an additional benefit in their health insurance programs. Patients commonly use telehealth to monitor their vital signs and remain healthy and out of hospitals.

A virtual doctor visit is a real-time, two‐way communication via an online virtual session. There are many benefits associated with telehealth appointments—and not just for the patient, but the physician. Not only is telehealth a convenient means of rendering healthcare services, but it’s a simple way for patients and their physicians to connect. Telehealth appointments are also secure and private. They are HIPAA-compliant and allow healthcare access to patients who might not have otherwise found it accessible, such as those with mobility issues. The benefits of telehealth appointments include:

• Reduces patient stress
• Limited physical contact, reducing possible exposure to COVID-19
• Ensures you can access healthcare where you are located
• Easier and more convenient means of receiving medical care
• Permits patients to see their providers more so on their terms
• Renders an in-office appointment unnecessary
• Cuts down on travel time to appointments and waiting time in an office
• Removes the need for childcare to visit your doctor
• Improves patient access to healthcare providers overall
• Increases overall convenience and flexibility to schedule appointments
• Reduces the financial burden of the patient

Not only does telehealth provide patients with a wide range of benefits, but it provides physicians with a wide range of benefits as well. Telehealth can simultaneously benefit providers and enhance patient care. Telehealth is a patient-centered approach to healthcare that has had primarily positive outcomes. The benefits of telehealth for providers include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Schedule flexibility
• More billable hours
• Reduced no-show rates
• Improved continuity of care
• Improved compliance with follow-ups

Many health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, pay for various telehealth-administered healthcare services. Contact your insurance to find out precisely what telehealth services they will cover.

Healthcare providers who render telehealth services should obtain written consent before delivering telehealth services. Healthcare providers must have physical or electronic documentation of the patient’s consent, and that should then be incorporated into their medical records.

Our objective is to provide our patients with a patient-centered medical and dental home. Our goal is to provide not just acute care but preventive care and healthcare-related education to our patients. Brevard Health Alliance is a private, not-for-profit organization with a community board of directors. More than one-half of our board members are patients of our clinics. Our mission is to improve the health status of Brevard County by providing a medical home where all patients receive high-quality care in a timely manner. We commit to ensuring every patient we serve is heard, encouraged, and respected. We follow the following values:

• Providing an extraordinary quality of care for our patients safely and efficiently while focusing on continually improving our quality and efficiency.
• As stewards of healthcare funding for the medically underserved, we will maintain the highest level of integrity as we execute our responsibilities to the citizens of Brevard County.
• Providing a remarkable experience for every patient, every time.