Telehealth visits between patients and doctors have become a necessity during the pandemic lockdown. These virtual check-ins have some unexpected benefits, helping physicians diagnose issues that may not be obvious in the examination room.
Dr. Jillian Worth, a Family Practice Physician at Virginia Mason Bainbridge Island, and her patient Katie Kuffel are a great example. Kuffel, a professional cellist in Seattle, began experiencing numbness in her left hand – hardly an ideal development for someone who makes a living with her hands.
After trying to treat her ailment herself, Kuffel reached out via the Virginia Mason patient portal.
“It wasn't really getting better and I was getting concerned so I just messaged my doctor and I was like, ‘Hey do you have time?’” Kuffel recalled. “‘I don't really want to make it over to Bainbridge to see you but is there any way that I can like just talk to you or something?’ Her team suggested doing a bit of like a video chat.”
Since she was at home with her cello nearby, Kuffel was able to show Worth how she played the instrument.
“I was able to notice that she was compressing part of her hand that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and make that tingling sensation,” Dr. Worth said. “That would not have happened in my office because she doesn't bring her cello to the office. Usually.”
The time from inquiry to virtual examination to diagnosis was just a few hours -- and did not involve a trip to the office or a time spent in the waiting room. “It was incredibly fast incredibly easy, and also really intuitive on how to actually get online and get to the portal so I could talk with her.”
The more physicians conduct these virtual visits, the more they see the benefits – for themselves, for patients, and for caregivers:
“It harkens back to a time when we did more home visits,” Dr. Worth said. “What this is offering is actually seeing people in their home setting which has been quite incredible. Teenagers especially, and some of my elderly patients -- to see how they're living instead of wondering.
“I can never get a sense in the exam room what life is like at home with their parent. I can see that interaction on the video. I can watch mom storm off. I can engage in that conversation and do some parent coaching in their actual house.”
The revelation of virtual visits has been one of the few silver linings in this pandemic, hastening the coming revolution in how doctors and patients interact. More advancements are coming.
“Eventually we see that biometrics will be collected at home too,” Dr. Worth revealed. “People will get, down the road one day, a kit that'll have a blood pressure cuff, a pulse oximeter, a pulse measure … then we won't have to have that person have two caregivers take the day off of work to bring them into our clinic to wait in line to sit in the lobby instead, they'll be in their home.
“It's been incredible. Most of my partners have said it's a window into people's lives that we never even knew we could have.”
For more information on telehealth options, visit the Virginia Mason website.
Sponsored by Virgnia Mason. Segment Producer Heidi Eng. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.