Those days are gone when you had to travel to visit your gastroenterologist’s office to manage even a minor condition, medication side effect, or new symptom. Now, with telehealth, you can avail most of the services of your gastroenterologist with just a couple of clicks, without getting out of your comfort zone.
Telehealth, sometimes also known as telemedicine, is a fusion of digital information and communication (computer, internet, etc.) with healthcare services. Simply, telehealth provides you remote access to multiple healthcare services, including gastroenterology.
inSite Digestive Health Care strives to make you comfortable in any way possible. Hence, we provide secure video visits that allow you to receive the same quality care as we do in our clinic.
Let’s talk about some common gastroenterology services provided by our gastroenterologists through telehealth.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to the chronic inflammation of a part, or the whole gastrointestinal tract. Inflammatory bowel disease primarily comprises Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Complicated cases of IBD, especially complicated Crohn’s disease, requires frequent follow-up visits to gastroenterologists’ office. This is because the combination of immunomodulators and corticosteroids used in complicated Crohn’s disease can fluctuate blood counts and liver and kidney function tests. Therefore, it is necessary that your gastroenterologists keep a close eye on these. Additionally, drugs used in Crohn’s disease may cause certain side effects, for which you would want to visit your doctor’s office.
You can replace these frequent follow-up trips to the doctor’s office with secure video visits that allow your gastroenterologist to quickly adjust your medication in response to medication side effects, such as flares.
Hepatic Disorder Care
Telehealth has been used for years to manage chronic hepatic diseases, such as hepatitis C. Antiviral drugs prescribed for hepatitis can pose serious side effects, causing patients to discontinue medications.
With telehealth, patients adhere to their treatment plan since they can discuss their side effects with a gastroenterologist in the comfort of their homes. Their medication side effects can also be managed over a secure video visit.
Dietary Counseling
Telehealth has also made it easier for patients to receive dietary counseling for conditions like chronic pancreatitis. Typically, chronic pancreatitis is managed with diet, enzyme supplements, and pain medications. So instead of visiting a gastroenterologist’s clinic for dietary counseling, you can receive and discuss these and all other services on a video call. You can also discuss the results of your blood or stool tests over a secure video call.
Care for Other Digestive Problems
Telehealth visits are especially beneficial for the management of various other digestive disorders, including:
- Chronic abdominal pain
- Esophageal disorders
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- pylori infection
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Post-procedure monitoring
Telehealth Gastroenterology Services in California
If you would like to benefit from gastroenterology services through a secure video visit, schedule your telehealth appointment with one of our gastroenterologists at inSite Digestive Health Care. Our provider will send you some instructions related to your telehealth visit. You will also be asked to register yourself and complete a health questionnaire online. For your visit, log in 15 minutes before and come prepared with questions for your gastroenterologist.
To schedule your visit, call the inSite location nearest you. We look forward to having you!
