There is a lot of buzz about telehealth and virtual care these days, but how do you know if a virtual doctor’s visit is the right option for you? Many different appointments are suited for virtual visits and are just as effective in providing health care as an in-person visit.

Munir S. Janmohamed, MD, advanced heart failure cardiologist and medical director of the Mechanical Circulatory Support/Heart Failure Program with Mercy Medical Group, has experienced first-hand how virtual visits expand patient care. Through virtual visits, Dr. Janmohamed has been able to help patients manage chronic heart failure, improve their symptoms, and in some cases, prevent hospitalization.

Now more than ever, it is important to maintain regular health care, especially for those with underlying medical conditions. People with diabetes should continue prioritizing their routine health care during this time. Lack of adequate follow-up care could mean not realizing when diabetes is in poor control. This places them at a higher risk of developing a more advanced case of COVID-19, and can lead to other complications of diabetes.

When should I wear a mask? Do we still have to physical distance? It can be tricky to navigate best safety practices as the “new normal” is established. Doctor’s visits are no exception. To help clear up any confusion surrounding your next visit, we are sharing how you can prepare for your visit, and how we are keeping you safe.

As regulatory restrictions relaxed on telehealth services and communities closed down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams across Dignity Health Medical Group took action to rapidly scale virtual care capabilities across the state of California to help our ambulatory physicians and APPs continue to safely see patients, meet demand for care, and reduce the transmission of the virus. Since March, Dignity Health Medical Group physicians have conducted over 150,000 virtual visits.