Healthcare Is Getting A Virtual Facelift In 2021.
In 2019, I would be among the first people to say there are certain things that you can do virtually. Sure, I'd order a pizza, tour an apartment, build my Chipotle bowl or schedule a doctor's appointment. But to actually grocery shop and attend a doctor's appointment via an app? Nah, sis. I wanted to put my own hands on my packaged meats and fresh produce and I needed my physician to put his physical hands on me!
I don't need to convince you how things have changed tremendously in such a short period of time.
In 2020, I found myself typing things such as "I like my bananas more greenish than yellow" and "If the blueberry yogurt is sold out, I'll take black cherry".
I eat my prior words as if they were my Instacart purchases.
In 2021, I'm no longer taken aback by the thought of a virtual doctor's appointment. 'Rona has severely disrupted our norm and accelerated future trends. We're temporarily discouraged from elective surgical procedures and practically banned from entering a doctor's office unless we have symptoms of the virus, which I totally get. And if we're lucky enough to get an appointment, we're asked to remain in our cars until staff calls or texts us with permission to enter.
But for many of us, if we need to schedule appointments for something routine or minor as in a non-emergency, we may be forced to embrace technology to connect with our doctors.
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Granted virtual healthcare – visits via telephone, video or instant and text message – has been around for decades. It was already widely used in rural areas where there's minimal access to healthcare facilities. But we've also used a form of virtual healthcare ourselves if we've ever called the 800-number on the back of our insurance cards in the middle of the night and relayed our symptoms to a nurse to determine if we needed to rush to the emergency room or not. Now even more doctors will be using virtual healthcare to see existing patients and provide some specialty care. But guess what? It's something that most of us actually want anyway because we're all for convenience.
According to an article in Hello Health, telehealth services here in the U.S. went from 11% in 2019 to over 46% in April 2020 after 'rona numbers spiked and stay-at-home orders were enforced. Put another way, doctors are seeing 50 to 175 times the number of patients through telehealth than they did pre-coronavirus. That's a huge jump!
Additionally, though, roughly 60% of households are interested in virtual follow-up care, routine checkups, ongoing treatment of chronic illnesses and non-threatening conditions. And remember I just mentioned that 'rona accelerated things? Well, according to a survey cited in Modern Healthcare, only about 25% of all outpatient care, preventive care, long-term care and well-being services was expected to be provided virtually by the year 2040. We're actually two whole decades ahead of schedule!
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How Do Virtual Doctor Visits Work
Now I'm sure you're wondering how this really works. Even regular doctor's appointments generally involve in-person procedures like bloodwork and blood pressure checks. Or in instances of skin conditions, you'd think an up-close inspection is warranted. But once you schedule your appointment, you'd communicate your needs or concerns with your doctor or specialist via video, phone or app just as discreetly and honestly as you would during your usual visit.
As usual, if you require a prescription, the doctor will write one and send it to the pharmacy of your choice and if you need blood drawn or something of that nature, you'll be directed to a walk-in facility like LabCorp. For dermatological needs, though, a diagnosis can be made off of an uploaded photo of the affected area of your skin.
You can log in and check your results after a few days. Your doctor can also walk you through your results and a treatment plan and schedule any follow-up appointments. Also, conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea can already be recorded yourself – I have a blood pressure wrist band that I purchased from CVS – or monitored remotely through physician-issued equipment, if necessary.
If you're still concerned about overall care, like is-my-doctor-thoroughly-checking-me-out kind of care, the Modern Health survey found that 50% of physicians saw improved quality of care. And if you're worried about cost, virtual healthcare is still technically care and it's generally covered by your insurance plan. Also, 66% of healthcare plans think virtual health has improved overall member satisfaction.
Like any of our other activities that are accessed and conducted through an app, virtual healthcare is essentially seamless and undoubtedly convenient. There's no drive to the facility, a wait in the cold waiting room, an undress into a flimsy gown and finally a drive back home. The Modern Health survey results reflect that patients save two hours per visit.
Two hours that I can spend browsing the virtual aisles of Kroger and Publix.
Featured image by Shutterstock
I write about lifestyle and women's health and wellness. When I'm not in front of a computer screen crafting stories, I'm in a kitchen crafting cocktails. Follow me on the 'gram @teronda.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Pam Grier Thought She Would Be A Camera Operator, 55 Years Later She's Still Stealing The Show On-Screen
The name Pam Grier has rang bells in the entertainment for over five decades. Her iconic name is undeniably recognizable in any room from here to Tokyo. The beloved Foxy Brown is a timeless treasure that turned 50 this year. Fast forward to the present and Pam is still captivating audiences with her latest role as Athena in Them: The Scare, but would you believe me if I told you it all happened by chance?
(L-R) Pam Grier, Joshua J. Williams, Deborah Ayorinde and Luke James attend a special Los Angeles screening of 'Them: The Scare'Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Pam Grier started her career in her early 20s after moving to Los Angeles to work for a production company as a switchboard operator in the late 1960s. That gig didn't last long, as she was discovered and cast in her first film four years later in 1971's The Big Doll House. Pam reflected on her early beginnings, telling xoNecole in an exclusive interview that she actually never sought to be an actor. "When I started out, I was a novice—a student. I had no intention of becoming an actor," she explained. "I was working five jobs, living in a garage. I thought I'd be a camera person. Never an actor because I was in fear." Pam continued, "I had fear of emotion. Fear of being attacked, fear of fighting, fear of being injured or injuring someone else. I had a lot of issues I had to grow into and grow out of."
"When I started out, I was a novice—a student. I had no intention of becoming an actor. I was working five jobs, living in a garage. I thought I'd be a camera person."
She quickly learned that the fear was only holding her back and after her on-screen debut—her career quickly took off. The following year, in 1972, she appeared in four films and the success continued through 1973 when she landed one of her most popular films to date, Scream Blacula Scream. Looking back, it's safe to say Pam Grier is one of the originators of the Black horror film genre. "To see from 50 years ago to now, the technology and the innovation—and the IN YO FACE action, stories, and narratives," she recalled. "Back then you had to prepare your audience to see a genre of horror and you had to build your audience to see a woman doing martial arts."
Actress Pam Grier in 'Scream, Blacula, Scream.'Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images
In 1974, she landed the role of Foxy Brown and the rest is history.
According to Pam, the early years had a big impact on her trajectory and taught her many valuable lessons including that fortune is on the other side of fear. Pam's epiphany is one that she stills holds close to her heart and it even partly inspired her latest character in some ways. "Athena in many ways encompasses a lot of the characters I've portrayed and [my] experiences because in theater and in this particular body of work—the first cut is the deepest. Take 1, that's it. There's no more you're done. You did it. You got there."
It is amazing to witness her iconic talent on-screen as Athena. It's had to believe that Pam Grier will celebrate her 75th birthday later this month. She has taught us many things as a Black woman with an unapologetic presence on-screen through generations and this should be yet another lesson: Fear just might be holding you back from your destiny!
Watch the full interview below.
Pam Grier Thought She Would Be A Camera Operator, 55 Years Later She's Still Stealing the Showyoutu.be
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Featured image by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images