Telemedicine has increasingly gained popularity over the past few years. In pediatric
visits alone, a study by Stormee Williams and colleagues revealed that total
telemedicine visits significantly increased from over 2,033 visits in March to October
of 2019 to 54,276 visits in the same months of 2020.
This indicates that the mean
monthly visits increased by 6,530 or 2,569.75% over the same period. Given the ease
of these virtual consultations, telemedicine has remained a popular option as in-person
healthcare resumes.
But although telemedicine-delivered pediatric healthcare is now a part of the norm,
it’s still important to be cautious in choosing a telemedicine provider, especially for
young children. In this article, we will go over some of the factors that you should
consider when looking for a telemedicine physician for your child.
Experience in treating children via telemedicine
Numerous medical professionals continue to offer online services, making it easy to
find a physician on call. However, you should particularly look for a telemedicine
physician with credible experience in handling and treating children. The more
experience the provider has in pediatrics, the better the diagnosis and results are likely
to be.
If you’re unsure where to begin, you can start by asking your regular
pediatrician if they are available for telehealth consultations. If they are, then you can
continue seeing your pediatrician online. Case in point, at Omega Pediatrics, we have
a roster of telemedicine-ready physicians for acute and preventative pediatric care.
But if they are unavailable, you can ask them if they know a fellow medical
professional who offers telemedicine.
Local License
Besides their pediatric experience, you must also consider the relevant local licenses
of your potential telemedicine provider, even if the consultations are only online. For
telemedicine physician jobs in Georgia, medical professionals are required to pass the
United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and obtain a local permit
with the Georgia State Board.
So if your potential healthcare provider doesn’t have a
valid local license, it means they’re not qualified to practice medicine in the state. The
same goes for most regions in the US. For instance, telehealth regulations in Florida
oblige out-of-state healthcare practitioners to be registered with the Florida
Department of Health to perform telehealth services for patients within the area. So
whether your healthcare provider is a resident of Georgia or not, you’ll still need to
check for their license to ensure they’re authorized to practice medicine via telehealth.
Bedside Manner
Your telemedicine physician’s bedside, or webside, manner is also an essential factor
to consider when choosing a healthcare provider. Because even if you’re not
physically present in their office, their attitude and behavior in handling patients will
affect you and your child’s sense of comfort during an appointment.
According to Dr. Janaki Deepak, some of the signs that your physician practices good bedside manners
are: they listen to you without interruption, show genuine interest in your explanation,
and can show empathy towards your concerns. So if you don’t feel satisfied with the
service you’re receiving from your current physician, it’s best to look for a different
medical professional with whom you can feel most at ease. This will result in a better
relationship with your healthcare provider, allowing you to receive the best pediatric
care possible.
Good Review
Our article on ‘How to find the best Pediatricians for Your ChildrenTelemedicine in Action’ shared that the
best way to find a suitable telemedicine physician is by asking for parental feedback.
After all, who knows about the best healthcare services available for children in your
area than the local parents themselves?
You can also ask your friends and family
members if they know a credible online physician who specializes in pediatric care.
By getting recommendations from fellow parents and family members, you can
narrow down your list of potential healthcare providers and start doing your research
on their credentials and experience. This is especially helpful if you’re looking for
specialized care that may be tricky to find from scratch.
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to seek the best healthcare service possible for
your child. Hopefully, you get an idea of the characteristics and requirements you
need to consider when looking for a telemedicine physician after reading this article.
