LAKEWOOD, Colo. — As emergency rooms stay busy across the state with flu patients and people suffering from other respiratory illnesses, some health experts want to remind people that telehealth is an option.
For college student Kendall Bayshore, her winter ailment started like so many do.
"My throat was getting sore and more sore than normal," she said.
It turns out she had strep and could barely imagine leaving her dorm room.
"My poor roommate had to deal with me," she remembered.
Her mom recommended she make a telehealth appointment.
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"Telehealth is remote healthcare using technology," said Gerard Frunzi, the regional director of Telemedicine at CommonSpirit Health. "It's more often over video conference, but doesn't necessarily have to be."
Patients can get referrals, advice and prescriptions over telehealth appointments. Typically, a patient is able to see a provider in a matter of minutes.
"I would want to know what other medical conditions they have, when their symptoms started, what symptoms they're experiencing," said Dr. Brendan Clark, the Intensive Care Unit medical director at St. Anthony Hospital.
There can also be a cost savings for patients in some cases.
"Of course, it depends on your insurance. However, emergency room tends to have significant out-of-pocket cost," said Frunzi. "If your insurance package says $20 to see primary care and $40 to see specialty care visit for telehealth, it should be the same cost."
Health experts stress that if you do need urgent medical attention, patients should go to an emergency room or seek out care in-person as soon as possible. But, if it's not critical, it may be safer in some cases to see your doctor virtually.
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"It's a good way to protect others without going out into the community and spreading the illness that you might have," said Clark.
It also can free up busy emergency rooms for more serious cases.
"I only had to get out of bed to go pick up the prescription," said Bayshore. "[Using telehealth is] just like a normal doctor's appointment, just in my own bed."
As of last week, 737 remained hospitalized for influenza across the state. Those figures are well above previous years' records for weekly admissions, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
Wearing a high-quality mask like a N95 or KN95 in public settings, cleaning the air in your home, washing your hands, covering your cough, and seeking treatment early can all help stop the spread, according to health experts.
Denver7's Óscar Contreras contributed to this report.
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