Helping Parents Navigate Telehealth Visits During COVID-19

ATLANTA, April 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Family Health Center at KidCare Pediatrics, operated by The Family Health Centers of Georgia, wants to make sure telehealth is made user friendly for parents to navigate during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

As our communities buckle down and stay home to help curtail the COVID-19 spread, it's important that parents know how to access healthcare for their children. Telehealth is being promoted as one of the best ways to talk to your doctor.

Our goal is to help connect our existing and new patients to the medical care they need during this time.  An important component is for patients to know how to connect, have the proper equipment for videoconferencing; and to know that it's safe for them to submit their child's information over the internet and that their child's telehealth visits are not being recorded.

For 35 years KIDCARE PEDIATRICS has provided pediatric services in the metro Atlanta community.  The answer is not as easy as telling our patients to make a telehealth visit, our offices are closed.  Our patient population is at a greater risk of experiencing emergency medical needs related to diabetes and uncontrolled asthma; thereby, creating additional stress for already over-burdened emergency rooms in the Atlanta area. 

As we work to help patients understand telehealth, the message to those with uncontrolled conditions like diabetes or asthma, is to not miss necessary appointments.  We also don't want our children to miss other important vaccinations (e.g. measles) that can lead to future health crisis.   We are following CDC recommendations to help our patients and staff stay safe.  Our office locations in Atlanta and College Park, Georgia remain open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Family Health Center at KidCare provided links via text messages and emails for patients to connect to our Patient Portal https://bit.ly/2JSrHZ8.  However, the most important information we provided was our Patient Telehealth Appointment Lines: 404-691-6100 (Atlanta) and 404-765-9437 (College Park) which connect patients to support staff who make sure they understand their telehealth visit is HIPAA compliant, and  provides the technical support to help them connect.  We want to make telehealth visits accessible and easier for all.

fhcga.org

SOURCE The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc.