What Is Telehealth?
Telehealth is the use of digital technologies, such as computers or mobile devices, digital medical records (EMR), to access health care services remotely and manage your health care. Telehealth encompasses a broad variety of technologies and tactics to deliver virtual medical, health, and education services. Telehealth also includes having virtual appointments with providers, and the ability to sign off on documents and conduct business as if your in the clinic with your provider.
Telehealth appointments are billed to your personal health insurance carrier like any other in-person appointment would be in your clinic, and most are covered the same as routine appointments. To be certain of an insurer covering Telehealth visits, please contact your personal health insurance agency.
Telehealth at NDBC
Here at NDBC, we can conduct Telehealth “virtual” appointments for applicable patient appointments and programs, when not in the need of specific equipment, diagnostic tests, or certain procedures. Over the past few years, we have worked extensively to develop treatment protocols for not only Physician appointments, but for Physical and Occupational Therapy treatments as well. Offering Telehealth to the community, we are able to improve high quality accessible care to those who may live outside of the Twin Cities area or have trouble getting to appointments due to a busy schedule or illness.
Please Note: With a limited capacity of provider staff, our TeleHealth appointments are filling up very fast. We are trying to serve all of our communities to the best of our abilities, but please understand that our staffing is limited and appointment slots are in high demand. If YOU have scheduled an appointment at NDBC, please be respectful to other patients and either attend ALL your appointments or cancel them if don’t plan on attending, so your time can be made available to patients that need our services right now.
How do I know if I am Appropriate for Telehealth?
For most of our programs, you will first need to complete some in-office appointments for initial evaluations, where we utilize procedures and diagnostic equipment that simply cannot be done via Telehealth. These initial evaluations are also mandated by law and your insurance, that they be conducted in-clinic, to establish your care and treatment plan within any new clinic.
After completing your initial evaluations with each provider, typically one appointment each with Physician, Audiology, and Physical & Occupational therapists, the physician along with the therapists, will be able to decide if your condition and treatment plan is appropriate for our Telehealth Program.
If your condition is appropriate for our Telehealth program, you will typically have 2-6 Telehealth appointments for every 1 in office visit. This ratio can vary depending on your condition and the amount of guidance you are receiving from our provider team. Physical or Occupational Therapists guide your treatments and frequency of visits, while the physicians will manage any medical concerns, work or school restrictions, and your prescriptions while you receive care.
—————- General Guidelines on Appropriate Patients ——————–
- Patients need to be able to connect to our Telehealth providers their own devices, including phones, tablets, or computers.
- Common conditions we see appropriate for Telehealth:
- Concussion patients
- Balance and dizziness patients without fall risk
- Vestibular problems
- General orthopedic problems
- Patients at a risk for falling are not appropriate
- Patients with Medicare insurance are not eligible for Telehealth. (MD/PA appointments are ok, not PT/OT)
Our therapists are also licensed at surrounding Midwest states including Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.
For specific questions regarding our Telehealth program and availability, please call Teresa at 952-800-8951