E-Consultation for Scoliosis near me in Texas
As more healthcare providers join the digital wave, they have begun to explore alternative avenues for patients and doctors to meet. Telemedicine is one of these solutions allowing doctors and patients to meet electronically. Among the rising trends in telemedicine are e-Consultations. This article will discuss what exactly an e-Consultation is, what its advantages are over traditional face-to-face consultations, and how it can check on scoliosis patients.
What Is An E-Consultation?
An e-Consultation serves as a virtual check-up appointment. A patient fills out a form online detailing their symptoms and condition. Once the doctor receives this, they may send a one-way message with advice for the patient, or conduct a more thorough consultation by phone or video call.
In some cases where the patient’s situation is more severe, a doctor may recommend them to seek medical assistance immediately or ask the patient to have a face-to-face appointment instead. The e-Consultation form then serves as the patient’s medical history record, which a doctor can easily refer to in a glance.
Benefits of E-Consultations
Why should a patient opt to have an e-Consultation over a traditional in-person check-up? e-Consultations offer four benefits:
- e-Consultations are accessible: For patients who have limited mobility or are living far away from their healthcare provider, e-Consultations save them from the added stress of traveling back and forth to have their check ups done. e-Consultations also give patients access to specialists who may not be available in their area, or have limited working hours.
- e-Consultations are time-efficient: Since e-Consultations are usually scheduled for a mutually agreed upon time by the doctor and the patient, e-Consultations are suitable for patients with inconvenient hours since they can schedule it depending on their availability. Similarly, doctors can also squeeze in an e-Consultation in between their other tasks.
- e-Consultations are cost-efficient: e-Consultations are cost-efficient because patients will not need to spend so much money traveling, when they can have their health assessed from even the comforts of their own home.
- e-Consultations are readily available: Most e-Consultations have doctors on standby 24/7. Patients who are suffering from discomfort or painful symptoms will not need to wait for their appointment time, and can receive prompt medical attention. e-Consultations are especially useful for patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses, as they can contact a doctor when they begin to feel unwell.
e-Consultations for Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a type of spinal deformity characterized by an abnormal curvature of the spine. For most patients, this means that their spines are curved slightly in a “S” or “C” shape. Other symptoms of scoliosis include:
- Uneven hips/waist
- Uneven shoulder blades
- Back pain
- Rotating spine
Signs of scoliosis can easily be seen and identified over an e-Consultation. Patients may send a photo of their back to the doctor to check if there is a curvature. A doctor may also video call a patient so a patient can demonstrate how symmetrical their shoulders and waist are, based on how they bend.
For patients with a more advanced form of scoliosis, they can send their doctor a copy of an x-ray so the doctor can determine how severe the degree of curvature is and how this can be treated.
Getting an E-Consultation in Texas
We provide e-Consultations for cases of scoliosis, spinal deformities and spinal disorders at the Scoliosis and Spine Associates. Schedule an appointment with us online.