Telemedicine is seeing explosive growth as more people seek out health care without having to venture into a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital.
Virtual visits are expected to surge past the 1 billion mark this year, according to Forrester Research, which adjusted its numbers after COVID-19 began its spread.
Most of those anticipated visits are related to the new coronavirus. But even for general care, the projection for remote visits skyrocketed from 36 million to 200 million. A spike of 80 million mental health visits is also expected, according to analysts.
“In times like now with the coronavirus going on, if you want to see a physician and you don’t want to go into a doctor’s office, where it might be more likely to have germs being spread around, you can accomplish a lot of stuff through video chatting or even just emailing your physician,” said Joel Keehn, Consumer Reports’ investigative editor.
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When it comes to telehealth, consumers have a growing number of options.
Experts say begin by checking with your personal doctor. Many have begun to offer some form of telemedicine.
Next, check with your insurance carrier. Many offer access to a virtual doctor visit or a way to have a health care provider come to your home.
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If you don’t have insurance, or even if you do, many urgent care or walk-in retail clinics offer video consultations quickly for a flat fee. For example, CVS’s Minute Clinic, has video visits 24/7 for $59.
The number of private companies offering virtual visits is growing, such as Texas-based Remedy. More and more tech companies are moving into the health care space, offering virtual care, such as California-based Carbon Health, which launched virtual care service in Texas on Monday.
Telemedicine is not a complete replacement for in-person visits, but it can be a convenient way to get medical attention for a variety of illnesses and issues. It can also help you decide whether you need to go to a doctor’s office or the emergency room.