Life happens. Your patients can’t always come to you, and you may not always be able to go to them. Thank goodness Direct Care accounts for that by way of nontraditional methods of communication . . . otherwise known as technology visits! It really boils down to convenience. At any rate, here’s a little reminder of all the ways you can be there for your patients – no matter where there is.
Emails
Quick, easy, everyone’s tied to it from their phones anyway. It’s great because email is so versatile these days. Email from your desktop, your tablet, your phone – whatever works.
Phone
It’s a no-brainer. But in a world where we’re used to typing and texting, the phone can serve as a valuable resource when your patient need to be walked through something in a pinch. Plus, hearing the sound of your voice can really help calm a sticky situation.
Video Chat
Skype, FaceTime, the Atlas.md EMR in-app video phone feature. It all works, and it gives you an advantage of seeing what the patient is describing in real time.
Text
Texting is one of the most popular means of communications today. Makes sense; it’s also one of the easiest! Your patient can send a note, a picture, whatever. they need And you can respond pretty much anytime – except when you’re driving, of course. Technology makes healthcare accessible . . . but not that accessible.
Bonus
If you’re using the Atlas.md EMR, don’t forget the vitals of all this correspondence gets tied directly to your patient’s chart. So you can talk, type or text with your patient without worrying about logging it later. Plus, having these key correspondence features already integrated into your EMR saves you big bucks by having to use a separate tool.
How are you getting creative with technology visits in your practice? Share your story in the comments!