The
COVID-19 pandemic has transformed different areas of healthcare system. For
instance, technology makes it a lot easier for patients to consult doctors
remotely through teleconsultation. Teleconsultation refers to a service that
enables patients to communicate with their doctors through telecommunication
technologies such as messenger, videoconferencing and phone call. This
eliminates the need for travel to hospitals, thus making it a safer and
convenient alternative to face-to-face medical consultation for non-emergency
cases.
Last
month, I had a chance to try teleconsultation for the very first time.
Normally, I prefer in-person consultation but since my body was too weak at
that time to go to the hospital, I decided to look for teleconsultation
instead. There are so many medical companies nowadays offering their own
teleconsultation service but in the end I chose E-Konsulta.
The primary reason why I chose them is because of their tagline “Konsulta
muna bago bayad” (Consult first before payment). That means I don’t need to
worry if after making payment the assigned doctor didn’t show up during the
scheduled consultation.
STEPS
IN MAKING TELECONSULTATION APPOINTMENT WITH E-KONSULTA
- Send them a message on their Facebook page. Let them know the type of doctor you need to consult (e.g. General Physician, OB-GYNE, Cardiologist, etc.) and when you need them.
- Wait for a response from their chat admin. The admin will let you know the availability of the doctor.
- After you and the doctor have agreed with the chosen date and time, the admin will book the appointment on your behalf. The admin will also ask you to answer an online patient form for record keeping purposes.
- About an hour before your chosen appointment, someone from E-Konsulta will call you to verify your information and to remind you of your appointment schedule. If ever there will be changes with the doctor’s schedule, he will also notify you about the updated schedule.
- Once the teleconsultation session with the doctor has finished, the E-Konsulta admin will send you a link (via Facebook messenger) where you can pay your teleconsultation fee. Their online payment platform has various payment methods to choose from like GCASH, credit/debit cards, etc.
- After sending them your proof of payment, you will receive your doctor’s prescription and laboratory request (if applicable) within 1 to 2 hours either thru messenger or e-mail.
PREPARATION
TIPS BEFORE TELECONSULTATION
- Choose a quiet place so that you and your doctor can hear each other very well. Avoid doing your teleconsultation in public places where there could be background noises. Besides, you don’t want other people to hear your medical concerns.
- Check the medium you will be using during the teleconsultation. For example, if it is via Facebook messenger, then make sure that you have a reliable internet connection.
- Prepare your medical history including a list of all the medicines you take.
- Write done all the questions you want to ask your doctor ahead of time. This will help make your teleconsultation more productive.
CONCLUSION
My
overall experience with E-Konsulta is
hassle-free. Their Facebook messenger chat admin is very responsive so setting
up an appointment with them is fast and easy. The doctor I had a teleconsultation
with is also super nice and professional. She patiently answered all of my
questions despite the late-night schedule. I paid PHP 850 for the consultation
fee (inclusive of prescription and laboratory request) which I think is
affordable considering I asked for a specialist doctor. Most important of all,
it saves me a lot of time queueing and waiting for my turn at a hospital
clinic.
For
more information about E-Konsulta, you may contact them at the following
channels:
- Website: https://www.ekonsultaclinic.ph/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/banyuhay.ekonsulta
- Email: contactus@ekonsultaclinic.ph
Their
teleconsultation hours are from 8AM to 12AM (Monday to Saturday).
Try
E-Konsulta today and get affordable access to licensed Filipino doctors
from the comfort of your own home.
P.S.
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