Hours : Mon to Wed: 8-4pm | Thur: 8-6pm | Sat: 9-12pm

What is Telehealth/Telemedicine?

Telehealth and video consultation doctor in Trinidad and Tobago

 

What is Telehealth?

It a way for doctors and patients to have a consultation and exchange information and advice when they are not in the same place. This can be over telephone, video, email and whats app, using a telephone, smart phone, tablet, laptop or computer.

Is it Secure?

lt is vital that confidentiality is maintained, so here at Ames Medical we use something called a HIPPA compliant system. This is not Whats app/Facetime . It is a medical grade system that is very secure. We never record you.

Isn’t this very New?

Ames Medical was as far as we know, the first video consultation service in T and T and we therefore have 3 years of experience delivering this service. We always knew that it was going to be a big part of the future, so we invested in a fantastic platform, not weeks ago or months ago, but YEARS ago.

Now, during the pandemic, many of you are also just beginning to see the usefulness of Telehealth. – No waiting rooms exposing you to other patient’s illnesses, for example.

But we think, and always did think, that Telehealth has a role to play in the future too.

What Conditions Can you deal with on Medical Video Consultation

Telehealth will never completely replace a doctor’s visit but it is a useful option for minor ailments, like red eye, UTI, sore throat, medication and results etc. Clink here for a useful video on other things it can be used for :

Conditions appropriate for Telehealth and Telemedicine – by Dr. Alexandra Ames

It is also very convenient – less time in traffic and away from work. No need to leave your comfy PJs and bed if you are feeling under the weather and don’t want to come out.

What Can you really Examine on Video?

There is a saying at Medical School: “The history (or the patient’s story) is 80% of the diagnosis.” The Examination is to confirm what we think..  So much more can be examined on video these days….human ingenuity is an amazing thing. We can barely keep up with all the technology coming out. Just look at the wearable devices you have in your own home that can provide information! Your FIT Bit, Your Blood Pressure machines, your Blood Glucose machines, Apart from that, Video gives us an awful lot of information we can’t see on the telephone. Like, how you are breathing, if you look jaundiced or anaemic; we can see rashes. The camera is so good that we can have a really good look at the back of the throat. Plus, our medical video consultations have always been backed up by the fact that if we both underestimated the situation wrong and during the video call we think we really need to see you face to face to be safe, we will convert your appointment to an in-house one at no extra cost.

How Can I get a Prescription?

We can email prescriptions, sick notes and helpful leaflets and advice.

How do I Pay?

You can pay online via Paypal, Wipay or by direct transfer to Ames Medical Services account. The best bit? Your Insurance company may even cover it! – Many like Sagicor Health are now seeing the benefit of Video consultations to their clients…so ask them.

Wars like this one have always bred culture change, and we think this is one of them. Don’t be afraid of it, we can still bring you down to be seen in office if we need to….and look out for the next blog Tips for a Successful Telehealth Consultation.

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