Telehealth: Another Option for Medical Treatment

Telehealth appointments are a good option for ongoing PAD appointments

Telehealth: Another Option for Medical Treatment

Early detection and ongoing medical care are crucial to maintaining good health – especially if you have a chronic condition, such as kidney diseaseA disease that impairs the kidneys’ ability to filter waste products and extra water from the blood., diabetes(Diabetes mellitus) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. or peripheral artery diseasePeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous tissue, and other substances in the blood.. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may feel hesitant about visiting a doctor, but you can’t let that stop you. While healthcare providers in many states can offer in-person visits again, you also have another option: Telehealth visits.

You may have heard of Telehealth but have a number of questions. Are people really using it? How do the appointments work? And are they effective?

Telehealth by the numbers

Telehealth usage was on the rise, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctors and patients have turned to telehealth visits even more to limit exposure to the coronavirus.

Annual Growth in Telehealth Visits from 2005–2014⁵⁷

Increase in Telehealth Visits in March 2020⁵⁸

Potential Virtual Health Care Interactions in 2020⁵⁸

How it works

Telehealth service helps ensure you receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. If you are elderly, have a compromised immune system or live with people who do, you can meet with a doctor from the comfort of your own home – to safely continue receiving medical care.

Seeing patients in their homes is an important advantage of telemedicine, according to Dr. Imraan Ansaarie of Ansaarie Cardiac & EndovascularThis means “inside blood vessels.” To perform endovascular procedures, surgeons use special technologies and instruments. These procedures require only a small incision or puncture in an artery or vein. Center of Excellence, East Palatka St. Augustine, Fla. “They get a lot more time to speak. We’re in their world — looking at them. It’s a huge advantage for the patients and for us,” he says.

With today’s technology, doctors can also perform detailed physical examinations as they inspect patients’ feet for ulcerUlcers (or wounds) can occur when there is poor blood flow in your legs or feet. Poor blood flow causes cells to die and damages tissue, often on the feet and legs. These types of wounds can be slow-healing., wounds, swelling or color changes.

Ongoing care is important for early diagnoses and early intervention. Many people living with peripheral arteryArteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. disease (PADPeripheral Artery Disease, a potentially life threatening disease where plaque, like calcium, builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet.) don’t show any symptoms or know it is progressing. Some people may dismiss PAD’s early symptoms — like pain while walking or cold feet — as normal signs of aging.

If you or a loved one cannot walk 15 minutes without a problem, Dr. Ansaarie recommends scheduling an appointment immediately. With an earlier diagnosis, doctors can provide less-invasive treatment methods for milder forms of PAD that may include:

Lifestyle changes (smoking cessation, healthier diet)
Supervised exercise therapy
Medical management

Keeping regular appointments is also key to managing the disease

“The spectrum of time gives us the best knowledge. We can make a history of you. We can make a timeline,” says Dr. Ansaarie. “If you skip appointments — or data points — it’s hard for us and for you to predict what’s going to happen next.”

Most importantly in cases of advanced peripheral artery disease, there are treatment options that can help you avoid amputationTo surgically remove all or part of a limb (leg, foot or toe).

By making and keeping telehealth appointments with your doctor, it may be possible to avoid more serious surgical interventions. If you don’t have a PAD specialist, use our Find a Doctor tool to locate one.

PAD appointments