Have a Health Concern? Ask a Doctor from Telegra MD!
Everyone should be concerned about their health and want to improve it. Poor health and dealing with health conditions can be one of the most stressful and draining aspects of your life. By focusing on maintaining and improving your health, you are essentially making an investment in your own long-term happiness and quality of life. Healthy habits are a good start, but staying on top of medical conditions and getting them treated is also extremely important. Sometimes, it may be unclear what the best course of action is or what might be ailing you. In these cases, it’s best to ask a doctor.
Traditionally, that has meant making an appointment—sometimes weeks or months in advance—with your general practitioner. The appointment itself often involves waiting around, sometimes for hours, with very little face time with the doctor himself or herself. There are also steep costs associated with this traditional model. Many people feel they don’t get quality results or have their concerns or conditions written off as no big deal by many doctors in conventional services at the mercy of productivity schemas.
For these reasons and others, this traditional model is rapidly becoming outmoded. More and more people looking to ask a doctor about their health, manage a particular condition, or seek treatment are turning to online doctors and telehealth firms, such as Telegra MD.
About Telegra MD
Telegra MD is one of several telemedicine providers to be founded in recent years, offering consumer health services remotely online. Patients can ask a doctor about a range of health concerns, manage a wide list of conditions, and get the same level of quality care—or better—than with a traditional doctor’s office visit. Obviously, there are limitations on what can be treated remotely. But, for most patients looking to ask a doctor about a specific condition, improve their health, obtain a prescription for certain medications, and so on, telemedicine providers like Telegra MD offer a beneficial new path toward better health.
Patients can schedule appointments in advance or wait in a queue for an on-demand appointment (during certain hours). They can communicate via text, email, live chat, voice chat, phone, or two-way video conference as per their preferences. During appointments, patients can ask a doctor questions about their health and certain health conditions; seek diagnoses and treatments; have a prescription written and filled; obtain a doctor’s note for employers; and much more. All of this is available for a low price per appointment, without the long lead times, waiting, exposure to sick people, or high costs and low satisfaction of a traditional doctor’s office visit.
Conditions and Topics to Ask a Doctor About
Each online doctor or telemedicine firm will typically have a list of conditions or problems for which they diagnose and treat, which will vary somewhat from firm to firm and based on other factors like jurisdictional limitations. However, most commonly, patients can ask a doctor about and seek treatment for many of the following common conditions, maladies, and health concerns:
- Rashes and skin conditions
- Acne/pimples and other blemishes
- Asthma and chronic breathing problems
- Erectile dysfunction and sexual health
- Cold sores
- Athlete’s foot
- Baldness/hair loss
- Urinary tract infections
- High cholesterol
- Blood pressure problems
- Smoking cessation
- Colds, flu, and similar complaints
- Mental health conditions
Since not all providers will necessarily treat the full, comprehensive list of common conditions and topics described above, it’s best to research what services may be offered by your chosen telehealth firm. That way, you’ll know that the expert medical professionals you’ll be in contact with can provide you with meaningful answers when you seek to ask a doctor about that condition online.
At the same time, you need to remember to provide all the relevant information about your health and history when you ask a doctor questions or seek treatment through telemedicine. The same is true with a conventional doctor’s visit, of course, but it’s even more important with an online appointment. Since the doctor cannot physically examine you or take measurements and vitals, nor do they necessarily have your full chart or history in front of them, you must be clear and communicative to get the best treatment. Be sure to tell your doctor about any health issues in the past or present, medications or treatments you may have taken or are currently taking, and so on.
It’s also useful to go into your appointment with a list of questions or concerns to ask a doctor about, and be sure to take notes or keep track of what recommendations you receive. Details and data are very valuable. Bettering your health can only succeed when you are the key driver for your treatment, habit changes, medications, and overall wellness.
The Value of Telemedicine vs. Simple “Ask a Doctor” Forums
It’s worth noting that there is a difference between an online telemedicine provider, where you can seek treatment, ask a doctor questions, and so on, and websites that are simply glorified discussion forums. The latter, “ask a doctor” type of forums, may be useful, but they are generally free and do not provide medical treatment. While some are certainly legitimate, there are also many that may not be staffed by licensed, certified doctors. They are also no substitute for a “real” discussion, such as over the phone or with a video chat, like you’ll find at a quality telemedicine provider like Telegra MD.
Though it is true that service from a telemedicine provider will come at a cost, it is usually significantly less than a traditional doctor’s visit. It’s also money well spent—you know you are getting good answers when you ask a doctor a question via telehealth, and that they are licensed, legitimate professionals. The same cannot be said of discussion forum-based sites. It’s also well worth it to spend a little money for better health—what other investment in your life is more important? That’s why so many people looking to improve their health, ask a doctor about their questions and concerns, and seek treatment for common problems are turning to telemedicine firms like Telegra MD as part of their overall healthcare regimen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay for a full appointment to just ask a doctor a question?
Generally, yes. While it may be tempting to think you can simply email or text a question to a doctor, and while that communication method may be available for appointments, most providers require you to have an appointment and pay for it in order to receive service. This is largely true of all healthcare, traditional in-office visits or telehealth included. This is because, in order to ask a doctor a question and get a meaningful answer (and for them to avoid malpractice), they need to know your history, conditions, and other vital data. That requires more than simply providing a generic answer to a health question, and, thus, an appointment. However, the cost of appointments with a telemedicine provider is generally very low, especially as compared to conventional doctor’s visits.
Why can’t I get X/Y/Z condition treated online?
There are limitations on what conditions you can have treated with an online doctor due to the simple fact that the service is remote. The doctor cannot take your vitals or perform a physical examination. This limits them, both ethically and logically, in what they can remotely diagnose, prescribe, or treat. However, as technology continues to improve, along with the spread of in-home networked health devices, it is likely that the list of conditions that can be treated online will increase. So don’t hesitate to ask a doctor if they might add certain conditions or treatments to their portfolio in the near future!
Are online doctors licensed?
All legitimate online doctor services use only licensed, accredited, and board-certified medical personnel. In order to treat patients—even online—doctors must be licensed by the state boards where they practice or are based and maintain their licensing to actively practice. This is no different with telehealth providers than it is with in-office providers, doctors at hospitals, clinics, or even mobile medical services in rural areas.
If You Need to Ask a Doctor About Your Health Concern, Visit Telegra MD!
The bottom line is that you can improve your health and help guide your treatment, maximizing your quality of life, by getting involved with your own healthcare. If you want to ask a doctor a question about one of the conditions or treatments available online, then you should absolutely do so. It’s well worth the small cost to provide you with peace of mind, answer your questions, and perhaps offer you some additional treatment options. Since telehealth providers like Telegra MD make it more convenient, affordable, and less time-consuming to ask a doctor questions and get treatment, there’s no reason not to give it a try!
