Doctor Televisits – Like Them or Not?

| marandarussell

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During the Coronavirus quarantine, I have had to do several doctor visits by video chat. So far, I’ve had to do them with my family doctor and psychiatrist, and starting this week, I will be doing them with my counselor too.

I must admit I’m not big on the whole televisit thing. I always worry about our internet connection during them because we live out in the middle of nowhere and have satellite internet (which sucks). But even aside from that, it makes me more nervous for some reason and makes me feel awkward sharing personal information. I have always hated talking on the phone and feel this is kind of similar.

I guess the upsides are that I don’t have to get dressed and ready to go out, or sit in a boring waiting room, but I still prefer the face to face contact. My counselor did offer in-person appointments but we would’ve had to wear masks, and I can’t wear a face mask for long because it irritates my asthma.

What about you? Have you had to do doctor televisits during Covid? If so, how do you feel about them?

31 thoughts on “Doctor Televisits – Like Them or Not?”

  1. I never even thought about televisits. I may not have been to the doctor since the Internet was invented 🙂 But it sounds halfway between “better than nothing” and a good physical checkup — probably great for some things, not so good for others, no?

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  3. I routinely only see my doctor every 3 months (my appointment is Thursday, the day before our area goes “green”) and it will be an in-office visit. Thinking about a televised visit would traumatize me! First, I am totally technology illiterate and would completely bugger everything up trying to set it up. Second, it feels invasive of my space, for them to be able to see things in the background! For these types of visits, I prefer a neutral and professional setting. As for phone visits, I only speak on the phone when I don’t have a choice – to anyone!

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  4. I don’t mind telemedicine so much, but I REALLY hate teletherapy. I also hated meeting my psych prescriber via phone call. That sucked. I guess I prefer teletherapy over having to meet her with a mask on because I wouldn’t be able to read facial expressions and such, but I would rather be there with her. It’s just awkward.

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  8. We dislike Telehealth. We dissociate. Our doctor and psychiatric appointments have been in-person. Psychiatrist didn’t require mask for us. Doctor did.

    Therapy appointments on video feel awkward and not authentic to us. We have been meeting in parked cars since April. No end to this in sight for us.

    Wishing you well.

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  9. ♡ I’m afraid I don’t have AnyThing Useful to Contribute EveryOne; there was a Linear Time I Was Desperate for Medical Attention both Psychological and Physiological…then I Grabbed The Bull By The Horns and Isolated MySelf well before This COVID-19, Common Cold NoneSense; over The Last Decade or Two This Evolving Fallen Angel has Arisen like a Phoenix from The Ashes of Conditioning and No Longer Has a Requirement for Medical Attention except for Physical Trauma like Deep Lacerations, Internal Bleeding and Broken Bones

    …♡♡♡…

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  11. I’ve had eight televisits thus far. I don’t like the picture part but I love not having to drag myself out and wait just to see my doctor. The televisits were all on time and I can see how helpful they would be when I go back to work. Then I wouldn’t have to miss 2 hours of work for one appointment anymore!

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  12. I have not done this and its not something I could do unless I was able to type my part of the conversation.
    But as my internet is not unlimited, I would avoid video calls and would only communicate via a typing method, or email.

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  13. Over the past 3 months, I had 8 appointments scheduled with my counselor. As of the third week in March, all appointments were over the phone. I’m not even sure this facility does video chats. Two I had to reschedule, one at the beginning of it all before they stopped in-person visits and the other was simply too early in the morning to accommodate my ever worsening sleep problems. Also, two appointments he missed completely, no explanation, my counselor just didn’t call. I would hardly call the 4 appointments where I did speak with him “therapy.” They were very brief check-ins, one of which he was more than an hour late in calling. Honestly, I hate these televisits. I’m seriously considering quitting therapy as a result.

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    1. Aw, I’m sorry to hear that. I will say that my therapist gave me the entire 45 minutes to an hour even over the phone. Maybe consider switching counselors rather than quitting entirely? Or mention to your counselor that it is bothering you? I understand why you are so discouraged though.

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  14. Hi, Doctor here! I think this is a great post for feedback about how telehealth works for some of us. I do come across people who do find it preferable to waiting for a doctor’s appointment as well as those who are not so keen. It’s not ideal for all health problems, but during lockdown, it was a good tool for those with good internet connection and able to manage the tech. Mostly, as one of the options available for healthcare, it has advantages and areas for improvement. Thanks for sharing. Dr Sylvia

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