Virtual Consultations

Now Available at Dermatology Specialists of Charlotte

Virtual Consultations

Now Available at Dermatology Specialists of Charlotte

We are now offering Virtual Consultations

DSC is offering Virtual Consultations/Telemedicine to our established patients. This is not available to new patients that have never been seen in our office.

This allows you to talk to us even when you cannot see us in person. You can use a phone, the Internet, or other technology to talk with us.

We are using two platforms for our telehealth visits.

Dermio – online consult with photo upload; cash pay. It is very limited and good for simple things, not anything that requires an in-person discussion.

And a video platform that allows visual and a conversation that is needed for insurance based visits and more completed issues like Accutane or biologic medication follow-ups or refills.

If you have healthcare needs in the coming weeks, including routine follow-up appointments, please reach out to our office to schedule an appointment. We will first screen to see if the visit can be completed remotely. If possible, we will set up an appointment for you to video chat with a provider. For visits that cannot be completed remotely will still see patients in the office. We are working to implement measures to maintain social distancing and keep everyone safe during this time.

If you have an issue for which you are unsure if a visit is needed, you may initiate communication with our office electronically through a telephone call, email, or patient portal message. We will determine if a video or in-person visit must be scheduled.

When calling the office we ask that you leave a detailed message and someone will return your call. We ask that you not leave multiple messages, for that will delay our turnaround time.

If you have not signed in to your patient portal, now is a good time to do so. Call our office for your sign-in information if you do not have it.

During your telemedicine session:

The provider may talk to you about your health history, exams, x-rays, or other tests. Other providers may take part in this discussion.
A visual and/or partial physical exam may take place. This will happen by iPhone or Android phone photos.
Photo records will be taken and the history and recommendations will be recorded in your chart. The provider will take notes, and a report of the session will be placed in your doctor’s medical record. You can get a copy from your doctor.

All laws about the privacy of your health information and medical records apply to telemedicine. These laws also apply to the video, photo, and audio files that are made and stored.

Technology can make getting health care easy, but there can also be problems:

If there are equipment or Internet problems, then your diagnosis or treatment could be delayed.
Records or images that are taken and sent may be poor in quality. This can delay or cause problems with your diagnosis or treatment.
The records sent for review before the session may not be complete. If this happens, then it may be hard for the telemedicine provider to use his or her best judgment about your health problem. For instance, you could have a drug reaction or an allergic response if the provider does not have all of the information that he or she needs.
There could be problems with Internet safety (“hackers”). If this happens, then your medical records may not stay private.
Without a “hands-on” exam, it may be hard to diagnose your problem.

The main goal of telemedicine is to make sure that you get high-quality health care, even though you are not seeing a provider in person.

Having a telemedicine session is your choice. Even if you have agreed to the session, you can stop your medical records from being sent – if this has not happened yet. You can refuse or stop the session at any time. You can limit the physical exam.

Your session may end before all problems are known or treated. It is up to you to follow up for more care if your health problem does not go away.

The service is only provided to established patients of the practice for routine follow up of current problems. Only 1 problem can be addressed per Telemedicine visit. This is not the best format to diagnose and treat new problems. We prefer that you come into the office, but understand that sometimes this is not possible. This is designed for those times, not in lieu, of regularly scheduled visits.

Have questions or concerns? Please give us a call at 704-943-3714.