You wake up on your day off, ready to tackle a long list of errands, but find you have a fever, sore throat and aches. What should you do?
How about scheduling a quick video visit with a YNHHS provider?
With YNHHS’ Video Care OnDemand, you can connect to Northeast Medical Group walk-in practice clinicians from your smartphone, tablet or computer. Clinicians can diagnose symptoms, prescribe medication and send prescriptions to your pharmacy.
Patients can schedule a Video Care OnDemand visit several ways: visit ynhhs.org/ondemand; call 833-4TELEMED (833-483-5363); or log into your MyChart account for the Video Care OnDemand link to schedule a video visit. Video Care OnDemand is available for COVID symptoms, and many minor, non-urgent illnesses or injuries, including cold or flu symptoms; eye, ear or upper respiratory infections; back, neck or other joint pain; bruises; sprains or strains; and other concerns.
With newly expanded hours, OnDemand care is now available 7 days a week from 8 am - 8 pm, excluding major holidays. There is a zero-dollar copay for OnDemand for individuals covered by the YNHHS health insurance plan.
Video Care OnDemand is a video visit with an NEMG provider; it is not a video visit with your primary care provider or a specialist.
“OnDemand appointments are quick and easy to schedule and save time,” said Scott Sussman, MD, YNHHS physician executive director, Telehealth. “Often, a diagnosis can be made via video, saving the patient a trip to a doctor’s office or healthcare facility.”
Alternatively, patients may visit our scheduling website to make an in-person appointment at a participating walk-in practice.
This latest telehealth service is one of many offered by YNHHS. For the past 10 years, telehealth has played an increasingly important role in helping YNHHS and Yale Medicine clinicians care for patients. When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, the use of telehealth exploded and many physicians relied on it to connect with their patients. Now, all YNHHS patients have access to connect with their provider through MyChart, and Epic, the health system’s electronic medical records system helps support the video visits.
For many appointments, video visits work well and can be more convenient for patients. Whether through Video Care OnDemand or a pre-scheduled appointment with your YNHHS provider, all video visits are secure and meet the federal government’s HIPAA privacy requirements.
The flexibility telehealth services provide helps enhance care quality and patient satisfaction by eliminating unnecessary office visits, reducing wait times and improving physician-patient communications.
“Telehealth is part of the transformation of healthcare going forward,” said Dr. Sussman. “It offers the opportunity to use technology in new ways to improve care access, efficiency and convenience.”
While he is not an OnDemand provider, Vikram Rao, MD, Internal Medicine physician, NEMG, agrees that telehealth options offer many benefits for patients as well as for providers. “I find that I have more time to spend with my patients during a telehealth visit,” Dr. Rao explained. “Several of my patients, who range in age from young adults to seniors, have become more comfortable with video visits once they experienced them during the pandemic. Now, many tell me they prefer it for routine or non-urgent medical needs, or for a consult to determine if they might need more emergent care.”
Most video visits are billed for the same amount as an in-person visit, including for employees on the YNHHS medical plan. If you are unsure or have questions about how your telehealth visit will be billed, be sure to check with a Patient Resource Coordinator by calling 844-543-2147, option 3, or your insurance company.
