Because of lockdowns prompted by the global health crisis, many people still fear visiting hospitals and even private clinics in person. Talking to a healthcare provider is a great way to avoid pandemic-related risk without sacrificing your access to proper healthcare.

Written exclusively for doxyva.com by Aria Covers

By getting in touch with a healthcare provider, you can get essential medical prescriptions, specific instructions on treating particular conditions, and even practical information on new treatments for COVID-19 patients. Today, the field of telehealth has expanded to include not just home health monitoring devices, but also efficient online communication platforms that make remote diagnosis possible. What can you do to streamline your communication with your healthcare provider when contacting them online?

Get in touch with and get to know the right specialists

Make sure you’re contacting the right people for the job. This will allow you to arrive at a safe and correct medical solution faster. Rather than getting transferred from call-to-call or email-to-email, actively finding the best specialist who can answer your specific inquiries makes the entire process quicker and more convenient for everyone involved. This is particularly crucial in the modern pandemic era, in which there is a massive shortage of health workers, particularly nurses.

Nurses are not only the backbone of the front-line efforts against COVID, they’re also likely to be the first qualified specialists you will be put in touch with by healthcare providers. This demand is why the nursing profession is expected to grow by 7% until 2029. Unfortunately, the bachelor’s and graduate degree programs from brick-and-mortar nursing schools and universities are currently unable to accommodate new students to respond to the demand. But the good news is that the digital migration of education is allowing both traditional and online universities to pick up the slack. In fact, current online RN to BSN degree programs which allow registered nurses to train for in-demand specializations can now be taken and completed 100% through remote work. So if you are looking for specialist advice and get through to a nurse know that they will be fully qualified to answer your concerns and questions. Just note that when you do manage to contact the right specialist, it’s important to remember that their time may be limited, as the shortage has stretched practically all nurses and other health providers thin. This brings us to our next point.

Ask informed questions

You can always turn to Google to find fundamental and objective information on practically any medical or health-related concern or inquiry. Doing this is a good way to further streamline the online consultation process. By coming to an online discussion with your healthcare provider from an informed perspective, they can more efficiently provide you with the right solutions, treatments, prescriptions, or plans. While speaking directly with a healthcare provider is still much safer than scrounging the web for info, a little online research definitely helps. There’s also a variety of legitimate sources of medical information that can be found on the web today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for instance has been quite active at updating its online portal for any questions that people might have about the COVID-19 vaccine. The better you can ask informed questions, the faster you can get useful answers.

Be honest, straightforward, and upfront

If there’s anyone that you should be honest and straightforward with, it’s your healthcare provider. For instance, the more you can tell us about your condition and any related concerns, the better we at D’oxyva can develop your online personalized recovery-oriented program or plan. Having a full and upfront purview of your medical history gives healthcare providers everything they need to provide adequate solutions.

In the era of telehealth, it’s easier than ever to talk to healthcare providers. And by following these aforementioned tips, you can maximize your limited time online with these nurses, doctors, therapists, and other specialists.