Our clinic will continue to offer virtual care for some patient visits rather than asking all patients to come into our office. Virtual care may consist of video and phone consultations, text messages and emails.
Virtual care can be used by your health care providers to:
Some health concerns can be addressed with virtual care alone, but in some cases your health care provider may ask you to schedule an in-office appointment for a physical examination.
We do our best to make sure that any information you give to us during virtual care visits is private and secure, but no video or audio tools are ever completely secure. There is an increased security risk that your health information may be intercepted or disclosed to third parties when using virtual care tools. To help us keep your information safe and secure, you must:
By scheduling a virtual visit, you agree to let us collect, use, or disclose your personal health information through video or audio communications (while following applicable privacy laws) in order to provide you with care. In particular, the following means of electronic communication may be used: email, videoconferencing (including Skype, Facetime, etc.), text messaging (including instant messaging), website/portal.
You should also understand that electronic communication is not a substitute for in-person communication or clinical exams, or for attending the Emergency Department for any urgent care that may be required.
If you are concerned about using video or audio tools for virtual care, you can ask our office to arrange an in-person appointment with your health care provider, or with another health care provider, to be seen in person.