Technology is improving every day, making it easier than ever to connect with people around the world. You can pick up the phone to call a friend on the other side of the country, or have a video call with your children in another city. Communication technology can also make it easier to see your doctor and your audiologist.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is a new tool doctors and audiologists are using to provide great healthcare to their patients. Telehealth uses communication technology, such as phone calls, video calls, and smartphone apps, to connect you with your healthcare provider. Of course, there are some things you’ll need to talk to the doctor about in person, and most examinations will need to be done face-to-face. However, follow up appointments and minor issues can easily be done remotely. With telehealth you can access healthcare and audiology services without leaving your home.
The Benefits of Telehealth
Telehealth can make life a lot easier. When you’re able to connect with your audiologist using telehealth, you’ll get some of the following benefits.
Saving time: Using telehealth can save you a lot of time and effort. You won’t need to make a trip to the office, and you can get answers to your questions after a short conversation. If you live out of town or can’t get time off work, telehealth will save you a lot of effort. If you have limited mobility or don’t have a vehicle, telehealth can make it easy to access healthcare without worrying about making it to the office.
Convenience: Telehealth is extremely convenient. You can get professional help from someone who knows you, and knows exactly what you need. Telehealth can be offered through text, a phone call, or even a video call. Telehealth apps also allow file sharing and can store information. You’ll be able to access care instructions, troubleshooting guides, or anything else your audiologist has shared with you.
Better Communication: You may find that telehealth gives you better communication. You’re able to talk to your audiologist from the quiet of your living room, and see and hear them clearly. You can talk to them every time you have a question, rather than waiting for an appointment several weeks away. You may also be able to send text messages for better communication.
Remote monitoring: Your hearing health specialist can monitor your hearing needs remotely. At My Hearing Centers we want you to be completely satisfied with your hearing aids and enjoy great hearing. When you can rate your listening experience and tell us your concerns, we can monitor your hearing, and make adjustments to your hearing aids to help you hear.
Adjust your hearing aids remotely: Some hearing aids can actually be adjusted remotely. When you communicate with us through telehealth, we may be able to adjust your hearing aids without a visit to our office. Do you have an app for your hearing aids? We can access your hearing aids by sending an update through the app to your hearing aids. This means you can get the settings adjusted to match your unique hearing needs without visiting the office for follow-up visits.
Safe communication: Telehealth provides safe communication. Telehealth services use end-to-end encryption to keep all your communication completely safe and confidential. Anything you tell us via telehealth is kept completely private.
Telehealth at the Office
You may also be able to access telehealth at a remote clinic. If you live in a rural area, you may have access to a remote clinic. You’ll see the front-office staff member, and then have a telehealth appointment with an audiologist who’s not on site. It’s even possible to have a hearing test in this way, and even though the audiologist isn’t in the office with you, you can get a hearing test using telehealth.
Find Out About Telehealth
Next time you visit one of our locations to talk about your hearing needs, ask us about telehealth and find out what remote services we offer. If you’re looking for new hearing aids, think about connectivity features, and ask about hearing aids that can be programmed remotely. We think telehealth will become even more popular in the years ahead, so ask us about what telehealth services we can provide.