At Cano Health, we are always looking for ways to deliver cost-effective, high-quality care for our patients. We offer Population Health Management (PHM) programs, because we believe prediction and prevention are the keys to success. We strive to improve our patients’ lives by enrolling them in programs tailored to their medical conditions. This may include home visits alternated with telehealth monitoring. Virtual doctor visits through Cano Health mean that you get high-quality healthcare from the comfort and safety of your own home.

For many, virtual doctor visits are new improvements to their healthcare regimens. If you are someone who has not been participating in virtual doctor visits, but who now finds it necessary to do so, you may be wondering, what is a virtual visit? 

What Is a Virtual Visit?

Virtual doctor visits are perfectly safe and effective ways to interact with your doctor through email, phone or a web-based portal. A virtual visit most often gives you an opportunity to meet with your doctor face-to-face using technology. You may not be in-person, but often you can use a video feature to interact with your doctor. 

You may find the telehealth experience can be just as effective as an in-person visit, perhaps even more so because you do not have to travel or risk exposure to viruses. Health concerns like urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, or routine follow-ups for chronic diseases are prime examples of reasons for virtual doctor visits.

Why Virtual Doctor Visits

Virtual doctor visits give you access to healthcare quickly and efficiently. You can use them to talk to your doctor at a time that works for you without having to get to an office and wait in a waiting room. Often, you can reach out for care 24 hours a day! If you are using a patient portal or emailing a doctor, you can do so any time you want. You don’t need to bother with scheduling an appointment, and your doctor will return your message in a timely manner with all the information you need to go forward. You can get your questions answered without feeling rushed, and you have a written record of the doctor’s advice to refer to at any time you need.

Cano Health offers a program called Telehealth After COPD Hospitalization, simply called TEACH. This program is designed to incorporate both home visits and telehealth, as part of our in-home management of health status for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). A blend of telehealth and home visits can provide an opportunity to improve patient satisfaction as well as quality of life while potentially reducing readmission costs for patients with COPD. 

As soon as an eligible patient is discharged from the hospital and enrolled in Cano Health’s TEACH program, the patient will receive home visits alternated with telehealth monitoring. Cano Health’s TEACH program allows providers to treat patients in the comfort, safety, and privacy of their own homes.

Patients who already have established relationships with their doctors are well served by virtual doctor visits. Your doctor knows you and can refer to your records to answer questions about your healthcare and non-emergency health concerns through these virtual visits. Please be advised that virtual visits are not for urgent matters, such as chest pain, and that you should always call 911 if you experience an emergency. 

The Patient Perspective

If you’re still asking, what is a virtual visit? here is an example from the point of view of a patient. 

I go to my healthcare center’s website and follow the link for “virtual doctor visit” (this will be different from office to office, but your doctor can give you the specific information). I log on with my username and secure password. I feel confident that all my information is handled with care and kept private. All my medications are logged here, so I can keep track of medication names and dosages. 

The reason for my visit today is a rash that I would like my doctor to see. I attach a picture of the rash and the information I feel is relevant and important, much like what I would tell my doctor in person. Within 24 hours, I receive a response from my doctor. She has determined the type of rash and has sent a prescription to my pharmacy. The rash clears within a day of applying the ointment she prescribes. All this has been taken care of without a single visit to my doctor’s office. 

Not only are virtual visits safe, easy, and effective, they give your doctor important ongoing information about your health and wellness. This means that when you see your doctor in person, the visit will go smoothly because he or she has up-to-date information about your health. Because of the virtual visit, your doctor is already aware of any non-emergency health problems you have had, so you do not need to spend time reviewing that information again unless it is necessary for your care. 

If, after this introduction, you’re still asking what is a virtual visit? or how can I access this type of care? – check your area for a Cano Health location near you or ask your doctor about virtual visits. 

>> If you would like to know more about virtual doctor visits with Cano Health, please contact us at 855.CANOMED (855.226.6633).