Long before the COVID-19 pandemic came along, Just 4 Kids Urgent Care was offering telemedicine for our patients. Telemedicine is a virtual platform that enables us to bring peace of mind to parents and children through technology instead of in person. In this time of social distancing, telemedicine is the ideal way to do things so we can help flatten the curve and keep each other safe.
We know that the people who are at the greatest risk during this COVID-19 outbreak are those who are over the age of 60 or have underlying health issues or a compromised immune system. We also know that, as a parent, it can be a scary and uncertain time. Whether your child is struggling with COVID-19 or anything else, we want to do all we can to bring you peace of mind and help them to feel better.
Benefits Of Telemedicine
There are several ways that using telemedicine at this time can be beneficial — both to you and to the community as a whole. First and foremost, this is a way for us to comply with the social distancing instruction we have been given. This will help us avoid becoming a carrier and distributor of the virus. Here are some other great benefits we can see from using telemedicine.
- Decreased burden for medical staff
- Decreased need for medical equipment
- Fewer people gathering in waiting rooms
How Does it Work?
Simply step into our virtual waiting room for an on-demand visit. Video visits are easily accessible from your laptop or desktop computer, smartphone, or tablet. Plus, there are no downloads or registrations needed. Functionality is best on Google Chrome or with the Anytime Pediatrics App.
- Patients are able to speak with one of our Idaho-based providers over live video.
- Our providers will discuss the symptoms with you and your child. They can diagnose the issue and provide you with the next steps.
- Depending on the diagnosis, a doctor may be able to write a prescription for needed medication and have it sent directly to your local pharmacy.
- If it is determined your child requires a rapid laboratory test (strep swab, flu swab, or urinalysis), they can be seen at any Just 4 Kids location for a rapid lab-only visit called Lightning Lab.
- As an added benefit, a visit summary is sent directly to your primary care physician afterwards.
What We Treat Online
Common illnesses — Receive immediate care for ailments such as minor colds, the flu, headaches, sinus or allergy issues, nosebleeds, or pink eye.
Skin irritations and allergies — Are you concerned about acne, minor infections, lice, pinworms, rashes, styes, or warts? Our telemedicine providers are available to evaluate you online.
GI and urinary concerns — We offer care for constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, menstrual pain, urine issues, yeast infections, and other GI and urinary issues.
Cold and flu symptoms — Is it a cold or flu? How can you tell and will home remedies work or do they need something more? Get your questions answered.
Immediate needs or questions — If you’re traveling or have an immediate need for a temporary medication refill of non-narcotic medications, connect to one of our providers virtually for evaluation.
Minor injuries — Quickly connect to one of our online pediatric providers to evaluate cuts, burns, bites, and other minor injuries.
Ways You Can Help
If you are considering using our telemedicine option to consult with our team, there are some things that you can do ahead of time to make the process more efficient. Especially if you have any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19. We will try to obtain the vital information as quick as we can to help you know whether your child needs to see a doctor, visit the hospital, or how they can recover at home. You can help with this process by:
- Make note of the symptoms before you call. This should include whether there is a fever and any medicine that your child has taken.
- Be prepared to answer questions that might not normally come up. This may include information about any recent traveling or time spent in the community.
- Have your insurance card and I.D. ready.
We want you, as a parent, to have peace of mind about what is happening with your child’s health. This includes their mental health. They probably have questions about what is happening … schools closing, staying at home, etc. This article provides some great tips to help you talk to your children and ease their fears. Here are some of the things you can do.
Tips For Talking To Your Kids
- Don’t wait for them to come to you. Everybody’s talking about it so you can be sure your kids are hearing about it.
- Ask them about what they are thinking and how they are feeling. You’ll need to know what is on their mind before being able to help them.
- Give them information that is simple and easy for them to understand. It can be easy for children to get overwhelmed with too much, or hard to understand information about what is going on.
- Give their concerns validation. You don’t want to brush their concern aside. Ignoring the truth doesn’t work.
- Give them structure while they are out of school and home instead. They need a routine, they need activities they can do, and they need their space too.
- Tell them about what you are doing to protect them. Understanding why they can’t go see friends, why they need to do schoolwork at home, and why things are closed will help them to feel better about things.
- Give them the chance to help make the choices to keep your family healthy. Feeling powerless is tough for anybody to take so involve them in some decisions.
- Stay informed so you have the information to answer their questions. The current situation has changed rapidly so it will be important to know what changes happen and how they’ll affect you and your kids.
- Show them patience and compassion. This is a difficult situation for everyone. It can be easy to get frustrated and tired of spending so much time together.
- Be sure that you follow up with them about any concerns they had. You’ll want to know if those concerns have been addressed or if there are still lingering issues.
Just 4 Kids Urgent Care
We hope this will help you understand our telemedicine option that we offer. We realize it’s a scary time right now for you and your kids. The good news is, we’ve been seeing patients via a phone app for over a year now so it. Check it out or give us a call for more information! Download Anytime Pediatrics to connect with us today!