Everyone gets sick- especially during the winter cold and flu season. Missing work for an illness while simultaneously trying to keep up with personal responsibilities, including with family, friends, and schoolwork, all increase your stress levels during this already painful time. Furthermore, trying to schedule an appointment with your physician can be tough, as last minute appointments are scarce and hard to come by, compounded by the fact that you might even be too ill to drive and you do not want to infect the rest of the patients at the doctor’s office. So what is a viable, and safe, solution? Consider a virtual doctor, in the new field of telemedicine. These are physicians who are professionally trained and can converse with you about your illness online, and even send over the appropriate prescriptions. With technology booming, this is the new age of medicine, as a recent study even reported that the telemedicine industry will be worth $36.2 billion in 2020, growing aggressively. Read on to learn about why you should consider seeing a virtual doctor.

Benefits of Virtual Doctor Appointments

1. No need to get out of bed.

You are sick. Maybe you have a fever with aches, maybe you have watery eyes or a cough that just will not quit. All of these symptoms make you want to curl up in your nice and warm bed, doze off for a little, and stay there until you feel better. But wait, you have to go to that pesky scheduled doctor’s appointment in the middle of the day, ruining the sleep you were finally about to get. With a virtual doctor, all of these worries vanish. You can speak with a licensed physician over the computer, explain your symptoms and receive medical care all from the comfort of your own home.

2. On your own time.

A general physician who works in the United States will receive over 3,500 patient visits annually. On top of that, a specialist doctor working in in the United States will receive over 2,700 patient visits annually. That adds up to a lot of people and a lot of time, which is perhaps why doctors typically only spend 13 to 16 minutes with each patient during a visit. When you go to a physician in need of help you want all of your concerns to be addressed, and, importantly, you want your voice to be heard. Virtual medicine can help solve these problems. You will get convenient medical care with an online doctor, who will have the flexibility to listen to all your complaints and come up with an all-encompassing diagnosis. Plus, many of these online physicians will provide you with 24 hour urgent care, meaning there is no more waiting for an open appointment as your symptoms continue to get worse and worse.

3. Safe and reliable.

It can seem scary to have your medical issues discussed over the internet, as you do not want some data breach to occur giving away all your private health related information. Fortunately, the field of telemedicine has become increasingly safe and reliable. This is echoed by the fact that 52% of respondents from a recent survey were willing to use virtual healthcare in order to see their own provider. This on-demand care is becoming increasingly popular, which would only happen if previous consumers were not just satisfied, but more than that. Patients who have used telemedicine for their healthcare needs have been very receptive to this new approach, enough to recommend it to others.

If you think that any of these aforementioned points would benefit your lifestyle in any way, consider utilizing a virtual doctor for your next medical issue. This new era of medicine is growing in popularity, as consumers are realizing how safe, reliable, convenient, and effective this type of care can be. Next time you come down with an illness and are on hold, waiting for an appointment with your physician, think about researching virtual care, so you can get back to your normal life as quickly as possible, and with as little interruption as possible.