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Dr. Anne Hermann explains how telemedicine can keep you safe
On March 26th the American Medical Association published an article supporting health care delivery via phone or email, a service known as telehealth. The AMA cited telehealth as a way to protect patients during a pandemic. CDC guidelines also urge medical providers to offer telehealth to prevent patients from coming to the office and potentially exposing themselves to germs.
Many medical offices in Florida have closed their doors after Florida Governor Ron Desantis issued an order that prohibits health care practitioners from providing non-urgent procedures. The result is that thousands of routine medical visits have been cancelled or delayed. So, how are people to renew prescriptions, treat minor infections, allergies, autoimmune flares, migraines and the like? Dr. Anne Hermann, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician and founder of Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness, states, “Contact your usual providers. They may be offering telehealth for non-urgent issues. If not, practices that do offer telemedicine can help you.” Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness is offering temporary relief. During the coronavirus crisis, Dr. Hermann is providing telemedicine and will devote the first hour of her morning to treating patients who do not have income free of charge.
Dr. Hermann also says that “if you have a prescription for lab work or a test, such as a mammogram or colonoscopy, ask your provider if it is safe to put off that test until the coronavirus crisis is over. For routine visits, a few months delay should be OK, but you should ask your provider in case he or she thinks you need the test sooner.”
Telehealth protects people from exposure to Covid-19. Providers can evaluate and treat a host of non-urgent issues and call in prescriptions to a local pharmacy. Even when “Safer at Home” orders are lifted, the Covid-19 virus will remain in our community and elderly people may benefit from remote medical care for some time to come. While telehealth providers can’t test individuals for coronavirus, they can help identify who needs to seek a test. If you have questions, contact your provider.
Dr. Hermann is a Columbia University trained Internist who founded Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness in 2004 with the goal of helping patients achieve optimal health. In addition to treating patients at both the Tampa and St Petersburg locations, Dr. Hermann provides ongoing consultation and guidance to her talented and compassionate staff. More information is available at the Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness website: www.doctorhermann.com or 813-902-9559.