The Busy Parent’s Life Hack: 7 Reasons Why I Downloaded This Telehealth App
Ames was crying hysterically with a mouthful of blood soaking through the fibers of my shirt as he clung to me tightly. He and his twin sister, Joules, were 11-months-old at the time and I was home alone with them while their dad was at work. Ames, on wobbly learning feet, had tried to walk to his toy chest, but tripped and hit his mouth on the chest’s wooden corner.
I consoled him for a couple of minutes, saw his bleeding had already subsided, and looked in his mouth. His teeth looked fine and all I saw was a cut on his gums as the source of bleeding. I debated on just staying at home and watching him closely or taking him to the doctor. I knew it wasn’t life-threatening; but, being a first-time parent, I wanted a second opinion from his pediatrician to give me a little more peace of mind.
This was the first time I was faced with packing up both twin infants and getting them over to the doctor’s office by myself. The immense stress and internal chaos I felt was overwhelming. We waited to be seen for over an hour. When the pediatrician finally saw us, she spent roughly 5 seconds looking at him and said he was fine. All of that hassle for only 5 seconds of her time!
This time-consuming experience could have been avoided. I could have done it all from the comfort of my own home with one simple tool: the Medici app!
Medici, a HIPPA-compliant app, securely connects patients with their own health care providers (such as the pediatrician, dentist, family doctor, therapist, nurse practitioner/physician assistant, dietician, veterinarian, etc.) from their own cell phones. It’s the perfect solution for those every day, minor ailments or concerns. Here are my favorite 7 benefits of this innovative, telehealth app:
1. You can text or video chat with your regular health care provider.
Think about all those weird rashes kids get. You could be anywhere (at home, on vacation, out shopping) and easily take a picture of the rash and send it over to the pediatrician for recommendations. And it’s an obvious bonus that you can stay connected with your regular provider that knows you/your child’s history, instead of starting new with someone else.
2. Save time by skipping the hassle of waiting rooms, lines, and driving.
The two times my twins caught colds in their first year were from going to the pediatrician’s office and sitting in a waiting room full of coughing ill children. Go figure!
3. Be seen on your own time and keep to your daily schedule.
With twins, we all know how important schedules are to us! Sleep, nap, and feeding – it’s not always enjoyable when they get off track, overtired, etc. This app is particularly handy when it’s after hours and you want to be seen without having to wait until the next day.
4. You can be virtually anywhere and use the app.
Imagine being on a cruise vacation and one of your kids comes down with a fever. Wouldn’t it be nice to text/video chat with their regular pediatrician for advice instead of feeling helpless in the middle of the ocean?
5. Insurance isn’t required.
If you don’t have insurance, don’t fret. You can still be seen by a provider on this app since no insurance is ever required. Simply pay what is usually less than a co-pay or in-office visit.
6. Electronic prescriptions and referrals can be sent within the app.
No need to worry about taking a paper script to the pharmacy! The provider can send it over electronically for you.
7. Translation is available for 20+ different languages to optimize communication.
My kids’ health concerns (and mine!) would be the last thing I would want lost in translation.
Their app is ideal for situations that are considered to be minor ailments (that are not obvious emergencies), chronic conditions, follow-ups, and consultations that can be performed by visual assessment. For a health concern not considered to be minor and/or is an obvious emergency, then calling 9-1-1 or going to the nearest emergency room is advised. As we move forward as millennials, telehealth apps are about to simplify parenting and our own busy schedules. I can tell you even from the perspective of a pediatric nurse practitioner, the hospital I work in has already started practicing telemedicine for our clinic patients. Our medical team and the patients all really love connecting virtually as its time saving and convenient for everyone.
Make sure you download the Medici app and search for all of your doctors and health care providers! If they don’t already have it, then you can send them an invite to join through the app. I’ve already invited my twins’ pediatrician to join the app – no more unnecessary, stressful visits to the doctor’s office for us! For more information, please visit the Medici website here.
