ST LOUIS - Less than a month ago, Urology of St. Louis (USL) was seeing more than 2,500 patients a week at its fifteen locations throughout the Metro East and St. Louis. As COVID-19 has quickly brought many face-to-face interactions to a dramatic halt, USL has rapidly adopted a virtual platform which allows all thirty of its physicians to see patients virtually and treat a variety of conditions.
“We’re able to assess developing symptoms and triage patients quickly and effectively to keep them out of the emergency room most of the time,” said Urology of St. Louis Medical Director, David Bryan, M.D. “We’re also able to check in with our older patients and patients with cancer from the safety of their own homes.”
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Appointments are handled through the HIPAA-compliant video conferencing platform, Zoom. The video conferencing platform, which is very similar to Apple’s FaceTime, can be utilized on smartphones, iPads or desktop computers and requires users to simply download the Zoom app on their device or computer. Congress recently lifted restrictions on reimbursements for telehealth through Medicare, allowing virtual appointments to be covered. Insurance also now covers telehealth appointments and allows for same-day appointment opportunities.
Dr. Bryan said USL medical assistants are contacting patients on the day of their appointments to help them download the app if needed. Once complete, the doctor will lead the private video consultation just like an ordinary in-person visit. If needed, essential services such as blood draws, urine cultures and urgent outpatient imaging can be scheduled. Dr. Bryan said the video conferencing services have been a success for their business so far.
“My advice to other private practices like ourselves, is to not be afraid to use technology,” said Dr. Bryan. “Businesses will have to evolve, and in many cases, patient care can not only continue, over the long run, it may also be a benefit to them.”
USL offers treatment for a wide range of urological conditions including prostate cancer, pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, sexual health, benign prostatic hyperplasia, kidney stones, kidney cancer, vasectomies and erectile dysfunction. For more information about their telehealth services or to find a list of locations, visit their website at stlurology.com/ or email at info@stlurology.com.
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