A Patient’s Story: Specialty care and auto-immune disease management
Mara has multiple chronic conditions that she keeps under control with medication, a healthy lifestyle, and regular check-ups with her primary care doctor and specialists. But, sometimes she experiences flare-ups, especially related to her autoimmune disease. She had been having symptoms, with severe dryness and redness on her hands, for about a month, but was putting off getting care. Both she and her husband are busy with work full-time, plus caring for their 14-month-old son, who is having health issues of his own. With her busy schedule, she ignored the prolonging symptoms.
On Sunday night, the condition of her hands got so bad that they were extremely painful and bleeding. What should she do? Was it an issue for her primary care doctor? Or, should she try to get in with her rheumatologist or dermatologist? She knew that it would take weeks, if not longer, to get in with one of her specialists. She wasn’t sure exactly what was causing the cuts and pain on her hands, so she wasn’t sure where to turn.
She logged onto her computer and initiated a consultation with UCM Digital Health. She completed a quick and simple online intake form, which asked about her symptoms and current medications. She uploaded a picture of her hands and input her primary care physician’s name and contact information, along with her pharmacy’s contact information.
Within a few minutes of completing the online form, she received a text message to let her know that the provider was ready for a video consultation. Mara reviewed her symptoms with the Physician Assistant (PA), gave her a quick health history, and showed the PA her hands via video. The PA called in a prescription cream to Mara’s pharmacy that she was able to pick up that night.
“I am not tech-savvy and the online process was very quick and easy to use. The PA was able to take a look at my condition and make a quick diagnosis, order a prescription, and provide me with other, great health advice!” – Mara, UCM Digital Health patient
Mara got immediate care and the medication that she needed to get relief. She didn’t have to miss any time from work, wait weeks for an appointment with a specialist, or sit in a waiting room at an urgent care or emergency department (ED).
Her employer benefited with increased productivity, and lower costs than an ED visit, and had an employee who was really satisfied with the helpful benefits that her employer provides!
