How many times have you, or someone in your family, been sick at night, on a weekend, or when you're out of town?
It seems to happen to to my family more often than not, and with the increasing popularity of our primary care provider, even mid-week it's usually difficult to get an appointment to be seen. The worst part is when you know what type of illness you have and just need a simple prescription, like for a sinus infection or cough.
In the past I would resort to being seen at a walk-in clinic, but that always cost an arm and a leg, even with insurance. I always thought there should be an easier way, especially with technology ... and now there is!
American Well is the nation’s largest telehealth company, connecting users with their choice of doctor for immediate, live online visits—day or night, seven days a week, on either mobile or desktop.
Among the doctors that can be seen for adults and children are primary care and specialist physicians, as well as behavioral therapists and nutritionists. American Well doctors can assist with minor illnesses and injuries, general health and wellness concerns, prescription refills, and chronic condition management— all from the comfort of your home!
I recently had the opportunity to try out American Well after returning home from a 10-day trip. I was feeling under the weather and just wanted some general advice without having to leave my house. I signed up for a free account, which took just minutes, and then started to search for a board certified family physician that was available.
I thought the platform was very easy to use and I LOVED how I could see the qualifications and affiliations for each doctor in the system. Many doctors even include a video welcome to get an idea of their personality and style— I found extremely helpful when selecting my doctor.
If the doctor of your choice is not available, you can send a message and make an appointment for a later time. Since I was ready to see someone right away, I didn't choose this option, but it's good to know if you find a doctor you'd like to use on a regular basis.
Once you find the doctor that you want to see, you'll fill out a form describing what you'd like to discuss as well as any other relevant information, like preferred pharmacy. I filled out a health history when I created my account that the doctor looked over prior to our session. This step is also where you enter your credit card information. My session was $49 (but I had a coupon code making it free).
And that's pretty much it!
I was able to discuss my symptoms with the doctor over the computer, and after a little back and forth it was suggested that I probably had jet lag. I was advised on a few things I could try to feel better, and within a few days all was well. I expected from the beginning that this was probably the case, but it was nice to have another opinion. I did not need a prescription, but the doctor would have been able to provide one electronically to the pharmacy if needed. At the end of the session I was provided with a summary that I could save, or bring to another provider if needed.
Want to try American Well for yourself?
Use code MomSquad for a free session at Amwell.com! Be sure to follow American Well on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, too.
Get started by clicking the graphic below!
Compensation was provided by American Well via Momtrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of American Well or Momtrends.
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