During my residency with Gardner Audiology, I have had the opportunity to utilize telehealth for patient care and for educational purposes. Telehealth provides patients with more accessibility and flexibility when scheduling appointments. Educationally, I can use telehealth to provide services to our patients while still being supervised remotely. Telehealth has become part of my daily schedule and has a variety of uses in health care.
The audiologists at Gardner Audiology use telehealth to provide remote hearing healthcare services using a large high-definition computer screen. These services include hearing aid fittings, programming changes, trouble-shooting and routine follow-up care. I have been seeing patients in our Crystal River office, but I also work in several Tampa and St. Petersburg locations throughout the week. Telehealth allows me to continue providing care to patients in Crystal River even on days when I am in the Citrus Park or Carillon office. One patient I have regularly seen in Crystal River was having a problem with the hearing aids, but unfortunately I was not physically in the office that day. By using telehealth, we were able to provide the patient with a same day appointment and make adjustmen ts remotely. The patient was happy that she was provided with a quick appointment while also being able to continue care with the same provider.
As a student, telehealth has allowed me to provide care in a different physical location than my preceptor, while still being 100% supervised face to face throughout my day. This allows me to ask questions and receive feedback immediately. Telehealth has given me independence as a student while also ensuring the patients are receiving the best care possible.