Get Excellent Vascular Care from the Comfort of Your Own Home

Telehealth is a branch of medicine that uses technology, such as webcams, tablets, and even smartphones, to provide patients with access to their doctors and the ability to exchange medical information — but in a secure online environment, not at an in-person office visit.

At Heart Leg & Vascular Center, our team of expert vascular specialists is pleased to provide telehealth services to our patients in the Bakersfield, California, area. As many people aren’t aware of the abilities of telehealth and how they can get excellent vascular care from the comfort of their own home, we’ve compiled this information to help inform your decisions.

The history of telehealth

Home-based health care isn’t a recent invention. As early as 1879, an article in the British journal Lancet discussed using the telephone to reduce unnecessary office visits. A 1924 Radio News Magazine featured an illustration of a doctor using radio technology to assist a patient, under the headline “The Radio Doctor–Maybe!” And in 1925, Science and Invention magazine suggested a device that would allow the video examination of a patient over distance.

These ideas quickly became reality. During the 1940s in Pennsylvania, the first electronic medical record transfer took place, when radiology images were sent 24 miles between two towns over a telephone line. A Canadian physician built upon this technology in the 1950s, developing a teleradiology system used in and around Montreal. And with the advent of modern film technology came serious concepts for what video medicine could and should be.

In a first for video communication used for medical purposes, in 1959, clinicians at the University of Nebraska established a two-way television setup to send information to their medical students across the campus. In 1964, they linked with a state hospital to perform video consultations.

In 1967, telehealth/telemedicine showed up on the streets in urban communities. The University of Miami School of Medicine partnered with the local fire department, giving them the ability to transmit electrocardiographic (EKG) rhythms over a radio during rescue situations.

The space program, too, had a part. NASA developed technology during the Mercury space program to perform physiologic monitoring over a distance, something that would be important when astronauts were in space.

The benefits of telehealth

While some examinations and procedures need to be done in person, telehealth offers a variety of advantages over traditional, in-office appointments:

• You can meet with a qualified cardiologist from the comfort of your own home
• You don’t have to worry about traffic
• You don’t have to spend time hanging around a waiting room
• You don’t have to worry about being exposed to sick people
• You don’t have to make special arrangements for time off of work or school

In short, you save time, money, and a lot of unnecessary hassle.

What services are available with telehealth?

Even though you’re not coming into the Heart Vascular & Leg Center in person, our doctors can:

• Diagnose vascular, leg, or heart issues based on symptoms and medical history
• View any lesions or sores via the video link
• Develop customized treatment plans
• Review the results of vascular tests or imaging
• Monitor your treatment progress
• Answer any questions or concerns

And if you need additional testing or care, we can use the telehealth appointment to refer you to a specialist in the area.

What happens during a telehealth visit?

The format of every telehealth consultation varies depending on your personal health history and goals. Most consultations range between 45-60 minutes.

Usually, we begin with a discussion of your medical history, symptoms, and lifestyle. It’s important that you be honest, letting us know if you smoke or drink, if you eat a nutritious diet, and if you exercise or not. You should also let us know about any prescription medications, vitamins, or nutritional supplements you take.  

Next, we ask you a series of questions based on the information you provided. And we ask you to point your camera at any areas of concern, like a leg ulcer or group of varicose veins. Finally, we discuss our thoughts about any next steps, like imaging tests, any preliminary diagnosis, or ideas about treatment

If you made your telehealth visit to discuss vascular tests or diagnostic imaging results, we share the images with you digitally and explain them in detail, again sharing our thoughts about next steps.

If you’re looking for excellent vascular care but want to do it from the comfort of your own home, Heart Vascular & Leg Center can deliver with telehealth appointments. Give our office a call at 661-443-5524 to set one up, or book online today.