The average wait time in an emergency department is three to four hours. The wait for an appointment with your primary care physician can take two weeks or more. Most ER visits are due to nighttime and weekend hours medical issues that are not true emergencies. Many times house call doctors can help avoid a trip to the Urgent Care or ER.
When you also factor in the risks associated with the pandemic, visits to an emergency room or your doctor’s office may not seem like the best option. Your healthcare doesn’t have to suffer as a result. House call doctors make getting the care you need a lot easier without having to leave your home.
Read on to find out more.
Healthcare Alternatives
The pandemic increased the need for alternative healthcare options. This, along with advancements in technology, has created an opportunity for patients to have easier access to doctors.
Here are some options that patients now have access to:
House Call Doctors
Subscribing to a Concierge Doctor that provides house calls allows you to have your physician at your home with one phone call. They will already have your medical history and can provide all the medical care that you get in a doctor’s office in your home. Also, the house call doctor can provide most care that an urgent care or ER does.
You pay a monthly subscription fee for concierge medical services. Once you become a patient of the concierge practice, your doctor gives you a thorough assessment and discusses your medical history and a plan for staying healthy. If you have medical issues or chronic illness, your doctor works with you on a treatment plan toward wellness.
Live-Video Conferencing via Telehealth
Telehealth has become more prominent due to the pandemic. This allows the patient to speak to a physician via video. It eliminates the need to visit a doctor or hospital and gives patients the ability to speak with their doctor when they need care. Telehealth cannot always replace an in-person visit with your doctor, but many times it can.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)
This is usually used for elderly patients as it allows physicians or healthcare providers to monitor their vitals and can help to prevent falls. It can help to manage patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular disease.
Remote monitoring can sometimes require patients to conduct some of their own tests, which may not always be accurate. This is why it is often best when used along with house calls.
Mobile Health (mHealth)
This uses smart devices including tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, to support healthcare via health-based apps. They can usually monitor patient stats such as water intake, pulse and heart rates, and blood sugar levels.
They encourage behavioral changes that promote healthier lifestyles. They integrate with the personal health records of a patient.
10 Ways House Call Doctors Can Help You
Advances in healthcare technology have made medical house calls a viable option for many patients. It has become even more important now with the onset of the pandemic.
Here’s why you should consider taking advantage of this service.
1. A Safer Option During the Pandemic
Getting healthcare in your home keeps you away from germs in doctor’s, urgent cares, and the emergency room.
Receiving medical care in the safety and comfort of your own home is an important advantage, especially for elderly patients, babies, immuno-compromised patients, and other high-risk patients.
2. Patient Comfort
If there is a life-threatening emergency, it’s always advised to call 911 or go to the emergency room. However, many times a trip to the ER is not necessary. Patients in familiar surroundings, such as their homes, will tend to be calmer if undergoing a medical emergency. Having a doctor who does house calls available to you means you can call them and get immediate response and care. Oftentimes your house call doctor can address your medical situation without the anxiety and stress and high cost of a trip to the emergency room.
3. Patient Satisfaction
Home-based healthcare can help eliminate the anxiety and stress of where to go when you need medical care right away. No matter the situation, you can text or call your house call doctor who will assist you with your medical need. Having a house call doctor allows you to have extended time with your doctor, providing more in-depth discussion about your health, medical treatment and care. It also facilitates a more holistic approach to your care to include advice on wellness, such as diet and exercise.
4. Extended Access to Care
Telehealth facilitates the extension of healthcare services to those who may not have had easy access before. Patients in rural areas and others outside the normal healthcare system can receive diagnoses and education regarding their treatment.
5. Improved Quality of Healthcare
This is particularly evident in areas that have limited access to healthcare. The advanced technology facilitates the treatment of severe conditions and improves the delivery of care. It also lessens unnecessary visits to the emergency room.
6. Prioritization of Care
Doctors can better determine the level of care required and urgency by collecting and storing patient data. They then use it to manage patient care more effectively and efficiently.
7. Reduction of Hospitalizations
A study of home-based primary care in high-risk elderly patients on Medicare showed that they required 20% fewer emergency visits and had 9% fewer hospitalizations when they received home-based primary care.
There was also a reduction in their need for skilled nursing care and sub-specialty visits by approximately one-quarter. This resulted in an overall decrease in their healthcare costs.
8. Improved Patient Safety
Patients with less mobility can benefit from house calls. Family members often have trouble mobilizing their loved ones for trips to the doctor and for testing. Many of these trips can be avoided when the patient is treated by a primary care house call doctor.
Remote monitoring also allows doctors to understand a patient’s ongoing health status. They can incorporate this information into their treatment and care.
9. Saves Patients Time
The average wait time for an urgent house call is approximately one and a half hours. This is based on data from over 13,000 patients that used an app-based house call service.
House calls give patients the ability to schedule same-day sick appointments without having to sit in a waiting room for hours. Regular visits can be scheduled at the patients convenience.
10. Patient Convenience
When you’re feeling ill, the last thing you want to do is drive yourself to the doctor or hospital.
Making Access to Primary Care Easier with House Call Doctors
Health problems can be worrisome and in some cases can even induce extreme anxiety. Doctors in offices can no longer accommodate sick visits because they are scheduled out for weeks in advance. When you’re sick and need to see your doctor, it usually means having to wait days or weeks or go to an urgent care or ER and fill out a lot of forms. House call doctors provide healthcare to you when you need it, in the comfort of your home, giving you greater control over your regular medical care.
Halo Health provides urgent, primary, and preventative care with one phone call. We provide an excellent team of doctors that can assess your needs and provide a detailed treatment plan to get you back to your optimal health. Become another satisfied Halo Health Patient. Contact us today to learn more!