Virtual care the healthy way to go during coronavirus lockdown


HELLO, DOC—Exer Urgent Care provides an online virtual care program in which patients can talk in real time with a medical professional. Courtesy photo

HELLO, DOC—Exer Urgent Care provides an online virtual care program in which patients can talk in real time with a medical professional. Courtesy photo

Exer Urgent Care recently launched VirtualCare by Exer, an online urgent-care service providing real-time access to a doctor via video chat with a smartphone, tablet or computer.

With shelter-in-place mandates, the online service provides patients with diagnosis and treatment from Exer’s team of medical providers from their homes.

VirtualCare is an extension of Exer’s patient access options and will refer patients to in-person clinic visits as needed to complete orders for labs, X-rays, COVID-19 testing and other services that can’t be performed over a video call.

Patients do not need an appointment.

Exer doctors can prescribe medication to be sent to a pharmacy of choice or treat patients remotely by providing medical advice.

VirtualCare provides access to patients who are unable to come into one of its clinics due to COVID-19 restrictions or for any other reason. Symptoms that can be treated through this new platform include cold and flu, nose and throat issues, respiratory, eye, skin, gastrointestinal, UTIs and other ailments.

Exer physicians are able to screen patients for COVID-19 via VirtualCare by asking questions about risk factors and, based on information provided, can determine if testing is needed or give other instructions based on symptoms.

Exer has also adopted new measures as part of tis decontamination protocol to increase patient safeguards against COVID-19.

Such measures include tripling disinfectant cleaning efforts; removing of furniture and reading materials from lobbies; moving the patient screening to directly outside each location; facilitating in-car registration; requesting patients sanitize their hands prior to registration; and welcoming patients directly into an examination room or asking them to wait in their car until they are called.

Additional protocols include: providing masks to all patients; adhering to self-swab practices to limit exposure of the virus; checking staff temperatures at the start of every shift to keep workers and patients safe; and adding detailed aftercare instructions to help support patients at home after a visit, especially if home quarantine is needed or in the case of patients with risk factors for severe illness, such as older age and certain underlying medical conditions.

For more information,visit ExerUrgentCare.com.