How Telehealth Can Help You Get Care Sooner

Have you ever had a cold that just won't go away, but you don't have the time to see your primary care physician (PCP)? Or maybe your PCP's schedule is booked out for weeks?

For these kinds of healthcare access conundrums, telehealth, also known as a virtual visit, is often a great option to get you the care you need quickly and conveniently. According to the American Medical Association, the use of telehealth has roughly tripled since 2018, fueled mostly by in-person restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Telehealth is a foundational part of care delivery at EvergreenHealth," said Kai Neander, Director of Innovation and Digital Health. "It includes phone visits, SMS communications and, most commonly, video visits with your PCP and your care team."

What to Expect During a Telehealth Visit

Cathy Roberts, Executive Director of Primary Care at EvergreenHealth, said telehealth can be a suitable care option for many types of office visits. "Telehealth works great for follow-up care, medication adjustments, chronic disease management, behavioral health and ordering labs, imaging or referrals. Any appointment that is more conversation-based is a great fit for telehealth."

Cathy continued, saying in-person visits are still a key component to patient-centered care at EvergreenHealth. "Obviously, we can't do a physical exam, vaccinations or anything that's hands-on over a video conference, but for most visits, our patients and providers love telehealth," she said.

Benefits of Telehealth in Your Care

Life is busy these days. Carving out time for an in-person medical appointment can be challenging, especially if you live far away from your provider's office, rely on public transportation or work an hourly job. As a community-owned hospital, removing barriers and expanding access to care is an integral part of EvergreenHealth's mission.

"As a social worker by training, I think a lot about accessibility," said Director of Behavioral Health Brianne Burnett. "It's a privilege to be able to come to an appointment and afford the financial cost of getting there and time away from work and family. A lot of our patients have variable accessibility needs, busy schedules and a lot of barriers that keep them from getting into health care."

By offering telehealth appointments for both primary care and urgent care, patients at EvergreenHealth have more options to get the care they need, when they need it. And according to Brianne, patients can often be seen sooner virtually than in-person.

"Even when our in-person visits are booked out a while, we can usually get patients a telehealth appointment the same week or the week after," Brianne said. "That's especially important for when someone needs to see their provider ASAP, so I'm glad we have that option and we encourage our patients to use it."

Using telehealth can also make you healthier. "Patients who use telehealth are more engaged in their care," Kai said, "and that's a big part of why we see better outcomes." A 2024 study found that patients with chronic hypertension and diabetes who used telehealth experienced statistically significant reductions in their blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels compared to patients who only saw their providers in person.

"Telehealth lets us meet patients where they are," Cathy said. "It keeps people from falling through the cracks because they couldn't get in for an appointment."

"Time is precious," Cathy continued, "and telehealth helps a lot of people gain access where they might otherwise have avoided it. So instead of ending up in the Emergency Department or Urgent Care because their condition worsened, we can get them on the road to recovery quickly with a telehealth appointment. Our patients love it, our providers love it, and I just don't think there's an end to the benefits of telehealth."

To learn more, you can listen to the full Check-Up Chat podcast episode or click to watch the vodcast.