Telehealth, or a “virtual visit”, is a consultation with one of our physicians via video conferencing. This is something we are offering at a time when we are trying to practice social distancing as well as comply with the “Stay-At-Home” mandate to keep your family and our staff healthy.
Virtual visits are convenient, allow your child to be seen without coming into our office, and provide care by your regular pediatrician (who knows your child’s full history, and has access to their medical chart). However, as we cannot perform a physical exam, we may not be able to fully evaluate their complaint, such as ear pain or coughs, in a virtual visit. Also, we may not be able assess concerns that require laboratory evaluation, such as urinary tract infections and strep or flu testing, with a virtual visit alone. It is possible that after video-conferencing, the doctor may ask you to bring your child in for an in-person sick visit if we need to perform a physical exam or specific test that reaches beyond the abilities of video conferencing.
Virtual visits are not for all conditions. While maintenance exams for ADHD or Well Controlled Asthma may be appropriate, Well Exams and, as stated above, some sick visits are not appropriate for telehealth. Our providers and triage nurses will work together to determine which type of visit is most appropriate for the safety and health of your child.
Scheduling
Appointments for telehealth visits can be made with our triage nurses - the specific times will be determined based on need and the availability of the physicians.
Payment:
Telemedicine parity laws require private payers to pay for telemedicine services the same way they would in-person services. Unfortunately, Illinois does not have a private payer parity law yet, so coverage by private payers isn't mandated. However, in light of Coronavirus, many insurers are now offering payment. For now our virtual visits will be charged a fee comparable to that of an office visit, based on complexity of the issue addressed.
We will bill your insurance company, as we do with other visits, and like those, you will be responsible for the balance.
How to join a call that has been scheduled for you
We are providing video conferencing through Doxy.me, a free video conferencing platform that is HIPAA secure. All data is encrypted, your sessions are anonymous, and none of your information is stored.
No need to download software or create an account. Just use a browser (preferably Chrome) on a computer, smart phone or device with a camera and microphone.
To connect with your doctor, the triage nurse will email you a link with a consent. Please fill this consent out and email it back as instructed. Once we receive that consent you can sign on as directed during a specified period of time (i.e. 10:30-10:45 am) to join the provider for a video call. The link will come as a text from Doxy.me.
DISCLAIMER: By typing your name below, you are signing this application electronically. You agree that your electronic signature is the legal equivalent of your manual signature on this application.