How telemedicine helped my son, and 5 ways it can help you, too - A True Story

Let me tell you a little story about how I discovered how valuable having a telehealth benefit could be.

 Telehealth brings fast relief — on many levels

A few years ago, I was driving home from work at the end of a long day, and my son called me after football practice to tell me he was in pain. After I talked to him, I started to freak out as I drove. A million questions went through my head – will he be ok? Should I take him to the ER or wait for an appointment tomorrow? How much will an emergency room visit cost? Do I need to take the next day off of work and cancel my meetings? Obviously, the cost and time didn’t matter when my son’s health was at stake, but I needed to make a plan.

Then I took a breath and remembered that I could use my telemedicine benefit.

I got home and consulted with a doctor online who diagnosed my son with a staph infection. I  got a prescription within 20 minutes, picked up the medicine, gave it to my son, and by the next morning he was feeling better.

Top 5 times to use telehealth

I think that telemedicine is a priceless asset, and there are many times when, like the story above, it can give you answers and peace of mind quickly. Some of the best times to use telemedicine are:

• When your regular doctor’s office is closed
• If you don’t live close to an urgent care center
• When you’re on vacation or far from home
• If you can’t afford to take time off of work
• When your child is sick, and you need answers fast 

Telemedicine services are changing the face of medicine, and as a mother, I’ve experienced the benefits firsthand.