For many patients, travelling to a clinic for a doctor’s visit can be burdensome. Whether it’s time away from work or home, long travel distances, lack of transportation, or any other reason, virtual visits are a great way to seek the high-quality healthcare Sanford Health is known for without leaving home.
Many conditions can be seen virtually
Family nurse practitioner Amanda Pederson works at the Sanford clinic in Walker, Minnesota. She sees patients both in person and virtually and says there are more virtual appointment options than many people think for preventive care.
“A vast array of chronic diseases can be managed this way,” Pederson said. “For conditions such as hypertension or lipids, lab orders can be placed to be drawn at the patient’s closest Sanford lab. Medicare covers virtual annual wellness visits. We can do annual physicals so long as it’s been approved by the clinician. And yes, we would definitely make it known if you need an in-person assessment.”
Other routine scheduled appointments that can be done virtually address allergies, asthma, diabetes follow-ups, menopause, weight management, and more. Mental health is also on that list, and that area of healthcare has seen virtual care appointments growing steadily.
“There’s very little clinical exam that goes with mental health appointments,” Pederson said. “Seeing a person’s face and their demeanor is important. But the diagnosis is primarily based on patient reporting. Treatment of anxiety, depression and ADHD are very appropriate for virtual care. In fact, mental health is probably at the forefront of virtual care for that reason.”
Medications can be refilled via virtual care appointments, with providers sending prescriptions to a patient’s preferred pharmacy. Some patients may need to complete lab work in person, but those tests can be done at their nearest lab and results can be sent to their Sanford provider.
Simple technology
For those worried about the technological aspect of virtual care, Pederson says anyone with access to an internet-connected device can make an appointment work.
“It’s a very simple process,” Pederson said. “A virtual visit is conducted through the My Chart system. Once it’s scheduled, it’s just a tap of a button. It can be a computer, a phone, or an iPad. Then we’re connected through video and sound for consultation.”
Pederson stressed that not every preventive care appointment works as a virtual visit. Doctors or nurses may need to listen to a patient’s lungs or heart, or check them physically. However, even a regular blood pressure check can be done by patients at home.
“Of course, always with a careful consideration of returning to the clinic or hospital if symptoms worsen,” Pederson said.
A common misconception is that virtual care is only for younger patients. Pederson says in her experience, older patients often benefit most from a virtual visit.
“For the elderly, it can be very hard to get in and out of a car or home. It can be dangerous to walk through parking lots in the frigid and icy winter months or extreme heat of the summer. Of course, being in the clinic results in increased exposure to illness,” Pederson said. “So, I think there are a lot of advantages for older people that we might think of as an excluded population. Sometimes they’re the ones that appreciate it and use it the best.”
Virtual visit availability
To inquire about scheduling a virtual visit with your existing provider, call your local clinic.
To start an on-demand video visit, sign into your My Sanford Chart account and follow the prompts to get started. After answering a few short questions, you’ll receive a message in My Sanford Chart when your provider is ready to begin. On-demand video visits are best utilized for acute needs or behavioral health concerns. Behavioral health visits can be scheduled virtually with your local behavioral health department or via your My Sanford Chart account.
On-demand video visits are available to anyone in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas. During their virtual visit, patients must be physically located in the state in which their healthcare provider is registered. On-demand visits for behavioral health appointments are available within Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
If you’d like more information on scheduling a virtual care appointment, please visit sanfordhealth.org/find-care/virtual-care.
Learn more
- Virtual care brings specialists to rural, underserved areas
- Sanford launches virtual care program for nursing homes
- Myth-busting virtual care’s most common misconceptions
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Posted In Bemidji, Family Medicine, Healthy Living, Thought Leadership, Virtual Care
