Who says doctors don’t make house calls? In fact, they make office calls and even a call to your car. This new technology is video conferencing, and it’s confidential and safe and it’s new at Tulsa Spine and Rehab and available to you. Here to talk about is Dr. Sean Riley. Dr. Riley, this is an amazing breakthrough for you.
Transcript:
Yeah, I’m very excited. I’ve been reading lately a lot about video medical conferencing. Essentially what that entails is that you’re able to get on a call with a provider, and many times it’s your primary care physician. If you’re at home, let’s say you have a rash on your arm and you’re unsure of what the rash is. You don’t know what to do. Do I go to Urgent Care? Do I go to the Emergency Room? You’re able to utilize different types of video conferencing technology to get on with your provider, and they can take a look through video conferencing of what the condition is and make some simple recommendations.
Now, we’re not trying to replace the physician. We’re not trying to replace the office visit. I’ve talked in the past just how important the exam process is. There’s something very important sitting down face to face with my patients, but it got me thinking. So many times I have patients say, “Am I in the right spot? Do I need to go to the Urgent Care? Should I have gone to a neurosurgeon? Should I have gone to my primary care doctor?” That’s what got me thinking. I could do this as well. I mean, granted I’m not going to be able to treat or touch the patient obviously, but I can make recommendations. I might be able to save them an office trip. I might be to obviously avoid a trip to the ER or Urgent Care.
I was like, heck, why don’t I do this? We have a service here at Tulsa Spine and Rehab now where you’re able to go into our website, and there’s a button that you click. You can schedule a 15-minute appointment, a virtual 15-minute appointment with me.
I blocked one of these appointments with you, Dr. Riley. I guess there’s a secure link between you and me. I mean, I don’t want to broadcast over the internet to everything. This is a direct video connection with you?
Absolutely. That was one of our questions early on. It has to be secure. It has to be safe. It has to be one-on-one.
This is a proprietary video connection between you and me to have an office visit from wherever I am.
Absolutely. What we’ll do is, what’s the problem? “Dr. Riley, I’ve experienced acute low back pain. I was playing football with my son in the backyard, and I felt a strain or a click in my low back. I have radiating pain down into my butt cheek and maybe my leg. It hurts when I sit. Bending is very challenging. I’m unable to sit, stand, those types of things.” Very similar things that I would ask you, Charlie, or ask the patient in an office visit, you know. Tell me about your condition. Tell me what makes it worse? What makes you feel better? From there, I an make some very simple recommendations. Okay? If I do feel like it’s something very serious, I’m going to recommend and Urgent Care visit or potentially an ER or getting in to see your primary care physician.
However, many times if I’m suspicious of a sprain/strain type of an injury, I hopefully can give you a good idea of what the problem is. Okay? Somewhat of a diagnosis. I think that’s the first step. Then from there, making some recommendations where hopefully you can get some relief. Whether it’s a position that you’re able to get in, or a simple stretch or an exercise, if you need to be using ice or heat. Those types of things we can talk about. As a patient, I think it makes you … gives you a little more confidence. Okay? This is what my problem is. This is my diagnosis. He’s given me a few things to do to hopefully feel a little bit better, and then ultimately recommendations on what needs to go on from there. Whether it’s you need a follow-up with me, or you might need to continue to do these exercises for four to five days.
If the condition isn’t resolved, then you need to follow up from there, whatever the case may be. It just gives patients an outlet or an option of visiting with someone and getting some advice without going somewhere. I’m not suggesting replacing your physician, your chiropractor, whomever it may be. I’m simply trying to provide an option of convenience for a patient where I know what my problem is. These are some things that are going to make me feel better, and there’s a plan moving forward.
Just getting some feedback from a professional like you helps a patient be more comfortable knowing what they have to do. Just knowing that the doctor says based on what I’ve told him, this is what I need to do next. There’s some comfort in that, and that’s one of the big deliverables you’ll get in a video conference I imagine.
Absolutely. It’s confidence like you said. Put you at ease a little bit. I know that I’m not dealing with anything, something horribly nasty. I hear some things to work on this. As patients, that’s what we want to know. Tell me it’s not something nasty, and what can I do to make myself feel better.
It’s easy as going to the website, clicking on the video appointment button there on the home page, and the rest of it is as easy as filling out any other form. Before you know it, you’ve got Dr. Riley right in front of you wherever you are. It’s video conferencing with Dr. Riley, and it’s right there at Tulsa Spine and Rehab. You can learn more about it of course on the website. Dr. Riley, thanks a lot for sharing this with us today.
See you online, Charlie.
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