Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, allows your health care provider to care for you without requiring an in-person office visit. Telehealth is primarily performed online using a computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access.

There are several options for telehealth care:

• Talk to your health care provider live over the phone or video chat.
• Send and receive messages from your health care provider using secure messaging, email, secure messaging, and secure file exchange.
• Use remote monitoring so your doctor can check on you at home. For example, you could use a device to collect vital signs to keep your doctor up to date on your progress.

Virtual visits with healthcare providers are one of the most common forms of telehealth. These visits allow patients to connect with a healthcare provider from the comfort of their own home, eliminating the need for a face-to-face appointment. During a virtual visit, patients can discuss their symptoms, ask questions, and receive advice and treatment recommendations from their healthcare provider. Virtual visits can be used for a variety of healthcare needs, including routine check-ups, follow-up appointments, and consultations with specialists.

Remote patient monitoring is another important aspect of telehealth. This involves the use of wearable devices and other technology to track and transmit patient health information to healthcare providers. For example, a patient with a chronic condition like diabetes may use a continuous glucose monitoring device to track their blood sugar levels, and the data can be transmitted to their healthcare provider for monitoring and analysis. Remote patient monitoring can help healthcare providers monitor patients more effectively, especially those with chronic conditions, and make informed treatment decisions.

The exchange of medical information is also an important component of telehealth. This can involve the sharing of medical records, test results, and other information between healthcare providers and patients. Telehealth technology can also be used to facilitate the transfer of medical information between different healthcare providers, such as when a patient sees a specialist for a second opinion. The exchange of medical information through telehealth can help improve the quality of care by ensuring that healthcare providers have access to complete and up-to-date information about a patient's health.

Telehealth has many benefits, including increased accessibility to healthcare services, improved convenience and flexibility for patients, and reduced costs. It can also improve the quality of care by enabling real-time communication between patients and healthcare providers and facilitating the sharing of medical information. Telehealth has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it more important than ever to find ways to provide healthcare services while minimizing the risk of transmission.