What a crazy week is has been. From celebrating Bella's fourth birthday all week, doing homeschooling, driving the girls to all their classes and clubs, to getting Bella's physical and then flu shots for the girls. Oh, yeah, and can't forget the boatloads of laundry done, cleaning the house for the parties and to be ready for family to stay over. If only there was more time in the day to get everything done. Don't get me started on Christmas either. I am still trying to finalize Thanksgiving dinner at our house, which is only a week and half away. Yikes! And, if all this craziness wasn't enough to stress a mom out, Bella woke up in the night after her wellness visit in which she got combo shots in both upper legs, with a fever and red, irritated legs.
What are you do to in the middle of the night, let alone a weekend, when most doctor's offices are closed. You have a sick child and the only option is either to head to the ER, which even with health insurance can cost a fortune, or if you are lucky to live near a walk in or urgent care clinic, you can head here and hope you don't have to wait long or that your insurance will cover it. Well, amongst all the craziness of the week, I was faced with this, as Bella was having a reaction to the shots. I waited until Saturday AM when most people are up to see what her legs looked like. This is what I saw...my poor baby girl...
It was hot to the touch and sore for her to put pressure on. Thankfully, her temperature with the help of Tylenol in the night went down. But, I still wasn't sure what to do about her legs. While the Internet could offer some advise, I have learned not to self-diagnose online, especially when it comes to my girls, as you can never be certain. So, I faced with two options... Option 1) Go the ER and pay a $150 co-pay and then labs, tests and other fees on top of the co-pay to find out what to do, if anything or Option 2) Stay home and have a virtual medical visit with a doctor in the comfort of my own home for only $49. I ended up going with option 2, which meant me calling one of the many skilled physicians available through the Amwell telemedicine network.
"Amwell is also the first telehealth service awarded accreditation by The American Telemedicine Association"
Have you heard about Amwell before? If not, here is some background on this great service, which all parents especially should know about...
I love being able to choose the doctor I want, as well as have different services like medical, diet and nutrition and pediatrics available, 24/7.
So, what types of health concerns or conditions can Amwell's doctor treat or diagnose? Amwell doctors see patients with minor illness and injuries, general health and wellness concerns those needing a prescription refill and even patients needing chronic condition management. Based upon your medical condition, you can choose to talk with primary care and specialist physicians, as well as licensed behavioral therapists and registered dietitians, to meet your health and wellness needs.
Have a question to ask a doctor? Get the care you need quickly - typical issues include:
• Bronchitis
• Cough
• Sinus infection
• Sore throat
• Urinary tract infection
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Pinkeye
• Flu
• Sprains and strains
• Cold
• Respiratory infection
• Headache
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Weight concerns
• Smoking cessation
"Just choose the type of visit you are looking for and select a provider. Depending on the issue at hand, the doctor can diagnose, suggest follow up, and prescribe, when appropriate. Amwell takes your privacy very seriously. Your visit with the doctor is secure and HIPAA compliant."
After downloading the app to my phone and creating an account, which was painless and took all of a few minutes, I was ready to meet with a doctor and see what we should do, if anything, about Bella's reaction to the immunization shots.
Doctors visit with the girls are always a challenge as they don't want to sit still and want to play with everything in site. Then, when the doctor comes in to examine in, they go mute and don't want to talk. Ugh. I wasn't sure how Bella would handle a virtual doctor's visit with one of the Amwell doctors, but was happy to find that she was more at ease and calming, being in her own home. And, instead of looking for expensive medical equipment to play around with, she was able to grab her favorite toy and sit on my lap, as she answered questions from the very personable doctor.
Not only did Bella feel at ease with the doctor, but I did as well. I didn't find the doctor rushing to get to the next patient. She was very thorough in her exam and looking over the photos I shared with her of how the area was spreading from the day before.
The doctor answered all my questions and put me at ease when she said that it was just a reaction and not something that required immediate medical attention. Instead, she told me to apply hydro cortisone to the irritated area to prevent Bella from scratching at it, as she suffers from eczema. She also told me to give her Benadryl and to monitor her temperature as she may get a fever off and on the next few days and give her Tylenol to reduce the fever, until the allergic reaction clears up -- which ended up happening.
Bella's physical was Friday and we spent Friday and all day Saturday tending to her allergic reaction, without having to leave the house to see a doctor. And, there were no crazy charges or bills to pay for, as we were able to get the first call with an Amwell doctor for free -- Note: All first time customers get a FREE call, for a limited time. Keep reading to get your special promo code to use with your first Amwell visit.
From now on, when the girls wake in the night or in the AM not feeling well, I can decide based on their symptoms if we need to see their local pediatrician, or simply pull out my phone or laptop and have an on-demand doctor's visit with a board certified Amwell doctor.
Here are some of the reasons why people continue to use Amwell, instead of going to see a doctor in person...
- "Lower cost. Consumers expect online visits to be cost-savers; with in-office visits costing, on average, $82 for first-time patients according to the Healthcare Blue Book, Amwell offers a $49 physician visit – a savings of $33. Great option for students in college looking for cost-effective healthcare or those between jobs and without insurance.
- Accessibility. After hours, on weekends and in the middle of the night (24/7/365) availability. Great for those who do have transportation or when you don’t feel well enough to drive and those who are newly relocated and don’t have providers yet.
- Convenience. Consumers are looking for a faster appointment. Now they don’t need to schedule an appointment nor do they need to wait to be seen, especially if on vacation or business travel. The doctor can be seen from the comfort and convenience of their own home.
- Quick prescriptions. Consumers would rather have an online video visit than an in-office visit to obtain common primary care prescriptions.
- Peace of mind. Rather than self-diagnosing or visiting a social forum for medical advice, users can obtain second opinions directly from board certified, licensed doctors."
I, for one, am all for these virtual doctors' visit as they work great especially if you have more than one child at home and don't want to deal with bringing everyone to sick in a crowded doctor's office. And, with cold and flu season in full worse, a doctor's office is the last place I want to be, as we always seem to pick up germs and bring home more colds and bugs after visiting with the doctor.
Like I said, first time Amwell customers will receive a FREE visit with a doctor. How you ask? Simply sign up for an account and enter promo code "CARENOW14" to receive your visit call FREE.
"Consumers expect online visits to be cost-savers; with in-office visits costing, on average, $82 for first-time patients according to the Healthcare Blue Book, Amwell offers a $49 physician visit – a savings of $33. Great option for students in college looking for cost-effective healthcare or those between jobs and without insurance."
So, what are you waiting for? Get that stubborn cough or flu-like symptoms checked out by a skilled physician without leaving the comfort of your home. Once you try out Amwell and their on-demand telehealth services, you will see why I and so many other families will be making Amwell top on their list of calls to make when someone in our family is not feeling well and needs to see a doctor.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with Mums the Word Network and Amwell. All opinions are my own.
This sounds like a great program and we could get a lot of use out of it thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteheather [email protected]