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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in the bookings and accessibility of virtual healthcare services, as patients and medical providers sought ways to access and deliver services in a safe manner. Many patients adopted virtual care for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic out of necessity, but now want to continue using health care services remotely even when the crisis is slowly coming to an end.
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Why Do Patients Want to Keep Using Virtual Clinic After COVID-19? A guide by Meiracare
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in the bookings and accessibility of virtual healthcare services, as patients and medical providers sought ways to access and deliver services in a safe manner. Many patients adopted virtual care for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic out of necessity, but now want to continue using health care services remotely even when the crisis is slowly coming to an end.
The pandemic has radically changed the way Ontarians get appointments with their family doctors, with office visits dropping by almost 80 per cent and virtual-care visits jumping by a whopping 5,600 per cent. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects in the lives of Canadians, healthcare providers across the country are continuing to support the medical needs of their patients. Now, that the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are slowly starting to lift off, patients across Canada are likely to be more inclined towards virtual care than in-person visits, due to the many advantages of it. Let’s have a look as some of the reasons why virtual care will continue to be a priority among patients even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Convenience Virtual care saves patients the hassle of driving to a doctor’s clinic or sit for long hours in the hospital waiting room, especially when one is sick. One can connect with a healthcare provider easily from the comfort of their home at their own scheduled time, causing little to no disruption to their daily schedule.
2. Increased Accessibility Accessing in-person healthcare services for patients living in rural areas can get difficult, especially when you are required to make frequent health check-ups. Virtual care has made it easy to access healthcare services from anywhere, thus eliminating geographical constraints in healthcare up to a large extent. Online health check-ups also make it easy for patients with functional disabilities, or, for their caregivers, to connect with the patient’s health care provider eliminating the need to travel.
3. Helps Preventative Care Regular health screenings are essential in managing your health and detecting any illness or disease in their early stages. Virtual care helps people manage their health in a better way, since it makes it easier for them to book an appointment and connect with a healthcare provider within minutes, be it either from their home or their work desk, during their lunch breaks or in between their meetings. Thus, helping them take better preventative care of their health.
4. Control of Infections Telemedicine helps you to connect with your doctor over a telephone, computer, or tablet and saves you the task of going to a hospital or a clinic and getting yourself exposed to potential infection causing germs or viruses that may be present in a hospital or a clinical environment. Virtual care visits are especially helpful to people who have a weak immune system and cannot risk themselves by going to a hospital and wait along with other sick patients, to see a doctor. In August 2020, 95 percent of Canadians who accessed virtual care services through video and 91 percent who used telephone visits said they were satisfied with their experience as it allowed them to avoid potential exposure to communicable diseases (such as COVID-19). During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual healthcare had proven to be an effective option in controlling the spread of the disease and help people follow social distancing rules.
5. Enhanced Mental Health Support With easy access to a doctor over phone, video call, or SMS, mental health support through virtual care has helped people who struggle with their mental wellbeing to connect with a specialist or mental health resources, almost immediately and easily with just a few clicks.
SEEA DOCTOR NOW We can connect you with an online doctor in 15 minutes or less! Book your virtual medical visit through Meira Care from the comfort and safety of your home. To book an appointment, please call or text 877-251-0077.
