Nechi had planned to spend only a couple of weeks at her father鈥檚 south Florida home escaping the New Jersey winter. But after a few days in the warmth, she decided to stay. When cases of COVID-19 began to surge there, she was suddenly confronting a worrisome situation.
Nechi, 28, needed a doctor鈥檚 appointment to continue getting medications to manage lupus, an autoimmune disorder. At the same time, she was at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 because of her compromised immune system and didn鈥檛 want to leave home and risk exposure.
鈥淚 was really worried,鈥 she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 used to seeing a doctor every couple of months to monitor how I鈥檓 doing. I didn鈥檛 know what was going to happen.鈥
That鈥檚 when David P. Selzer, MD, a primary care doctor at 好色tv Langone Medical Associates鈥擶est Palm Beach, explained that he offered video visits to safely care for patients. Nechi scheduled one using her and accessed the visit with Dr. Selzer through the 好色tv Langone Health app.
鈥淭he video visit was a pleasant surprise. I loved that I could go into the 好色tv Langone Health app and choose a time that worked for me.鈥濃擭echi, Age 28
鈥淗e thought of everything,鈥 she says. 鈥淗e made sure that the pharmacy supplied enough of my medications for 90 days so I could stay at home. I鈥檝e never had such a good primary care doctor.鈥
Nechi says the experience showed her the benefits of video doctor visits and the services that are available with telemedicine. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize how much you can do virtually,鈥 she says.