Aiken Regional Medical Centers Now Offers Telehealth Services
Aiken Regional Medical Centers (ARMC) now offers Telehealth services through our Aiken Physicians Alliance (APA) clinics. Aiken community members can now receive an assessment, advice, education, intervention and monitoring from the convenience of their home or work place.
Telehealth enables you to connect with healthcare professionals by phone, tablet or computer. Using HIPAA-compliant video and voice technology, this service lets you see and speak with a doctor, nurse or therapist just as you would during an in-person consultation — all in real time and respectful of social distancing practices.
Call one of our clinic locations to be assessed for a phone consultation or virtual appointment visit.
“This was the ideal time for our team to introduce Telehealth services to the Aiken community, when we’re encouraging individuals to ‘shelter-in-place’ in an effort to flatten the COVID-19 curve,” said Jim O’Loughlin, CEO of ARMC. “In a society that wants services at its fingertips, this is just one of the innovative ways you’ll see us adapting and building our business around our patients’ needs in the near future.”
Many types of routine visits can take place through Telehealth services. It runs on a secure and encrypted platform and allows doctors to display images such as radiographs and MRIs. The provider can order imaging, prescribe medications and make referrals to specialists.
“This is a welcomed revolution in the delivery of medical care in this country,” said Joshua Prickett, DO, neurosurgeon at ARMC and APA. “I’m excited for what the future has to bring with the development of devices to transmit other health information such as EKGs to facilitate telehealth care. This has been done for some time in rural areas, but I feel bringing it to our area will improve the care we deliver.”
“Healthcare providers will not be able to see all patients or all conditions in this manner, as a physical exam and an in-person visit may be necessary," said Prickett. “However, we are trying to limit this to as few people as possible, especially in patients at higher risk of complications or mortality from COVID-19.”
Eligibility for Telehealth services will be determined by the provider and depend on the medical condition. Patients will receive a bill and be responsible for any co-pays with their insurance company.