Health Break: How to talk to your doctor online
A podcast for UPMC Health Plan members, Health Break is your quick guide to caring for your mental and physical health, prioritizing wellness, and making the most of your health insurance plan.
Episode 9: Take a Health Break with Dr. Nick DeGregorio
Dr. DeGregorio takes a Health Break with us to explain how telehealth works and how easy and convenient it can be to talk to your doctor online.
Episode transcript:
Camille: Welcome to Health Break by UPMC Health Plan, your quick guide to health, wellness, and how to make the most of your health insurance plan. Listen during your coffee break, lunch break, or anytime you need a break. I’m your host, Dr. Camille Clarke-Smith. I help to oversee the quality of the plans we offer at UPMC Health Plan.
Alex: And I’m your co-host, Alex Treanor. I’m a senior health coach who works with our members on healthy lifestyle habits and goals. This is your… Health Break.
Camille: Hey everyone! This is Dr. Camille Clarke-Smith. Today we’re joined by Dr. Nicholas DeGregorio to discover the simple ways UPMC Health Plan members can connect with their doctors through telehealth.
Thank you so much, Dr. DeGregorio, for taking a Health Break with us today. When we talk about telehealth, how can I see a doctor online? And what does that really mean?
Dr. DeGregorio: Many doctors today are using telehealth technology to be able to see their patients—not only in the office, but also through their smartphone or computer or other mobile devices. UPMC uses the MyUPMC platform, and that enables you to see your UPMC doctor for a scheduled telehealth visit. Your doctor will send you a link for the visit to access online at the appropriate time of your appointment. UPMC also offers virtual urgent care visits through UPMC AnywhereCare, and that can also be accessed through your mobile device or computer or phone during operating hours—and that’s without a scheduled visit. So anything that comes up urgently whenever you need to be seen, you can do so without having to arrange for childcare or transportation—so very convenient. And these virtual visits, as we mentioned, can be done on any of your mobile devices: your smartphone, your tablet, or your computer. Other practices may have a web portal that you need to access for e-visit. So it’s important to check with your doctor about whether they one, do telehealth visits and secondly, what are the instructions, how do you access them for a virtual visit.
Camille: So it sounds like a lot of providers are using telehealth. Do all primary care providers and even specialists like psychiatrists offer telehealth appointments?
Dr. DeGregorio: Yeah, many providers today offer telehealth appointments and it’s important to, again, check with your doctor to confirm it and learn how to access it. Even those who didn’t previously started to do them during COVID because it was important for them to stay connected to their patients. And for a while, that was the only way to do so. But now that, you know, people are going back into the office to see their doctor, telehealth visits are still remaining very popular, both among the doctors and the patients with high levels of satisfaction.
Camille: If my provider doesn’t offer telehealth visits, what do you recommend that I do?
Dr. DeGregorio: Well again, there’s always the option of seeing your doctor in the office. And many doctors prefer that. Many patients might prefer that as well. But other options include the UPMC MyHealth 24/7 Nurse Line—nurses that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to listen to your symptoms and, you know, talk to you about any health care questions that you might have and/or to make referrals to doctors, or they can even warm transfer you right to the UPMC AnywhereCare virtual app to see the doctors. And then again, that’s the other option is directly accessing UPMC AnywhereCare if your provider isn’t available and you need help with those really nonemergency conditions.
Camille: So if I’ve made a telehealth appointment, how should I prepare for it?
Dr. DeGregorio: I think first, you know, review the instructions you’re given to access to telehealth visit. Have the software or the app ready on your smartphone, or your tablet, or your computer. Find a private space where you may not be overheard by others. Make sure your wireless connection is working. And then as you would for any visit, have a list of your medicines and your medication dose available for your doctor and make sure you list all of the questions you want to ask your doctor. And then be able to take notes as well, so that you can remember what the doctor said. Try to join the visit a little bit early so in case you’re having any connectivity problems you can troubleshoot that and make sure you’re available at the time of your appointment.
Camille: That’s great advice. Now, if I’ve prepared for my telehealth appointment, what should I expect for during and after the call?
Dr. DeGregorio: Yeah, it’s a lot like a regular doctor’s visit. Your doctor will hear your complaints and take your medical history, ask you any relevant questions to your symptoms. It’s important that you describe your symptoms as carefully as possible and as detailed as possible, but your doctor will usually direct those questions as well so that he can get the history that he needs. Then it’s important that you ask your questions and again, write down the responses so that you can remember what the doctor said. Telehealth visits are really safe and secure. A lot of security is built in and around them so that they’re private. And then after the call, it’s important that you follow up. So just like after a visit, your doctor may prescribe a medication or may prescribe tests so it’s important to get the medicine filled or the test completed if your doctor feels that they’re needed. And then if you have any other questions or concerns in follow up, you can contact your doctor.
So just a personal experience: I just, you know, had, the other day, a virtual visit with my provider through the MyUPMC app. And I just opened the app a few minutes before the visit and right in front of me was a little link saying, “begin your video visit.” I just touched that link. I was in the waiting room. The doctor joined in about, you know, one minute, for the visit—so very easy and very convenient. And then I actually had a follow-up question and right through the MyUPMC app you can just type in your question and hit send. And your doctor, you know, for nonurgent questions, nonemergency questions, will answer you within a day or two.
Camille: Well, thank you so much, Dr. DeGregorio, for taking a Health Break with us today and telling us how we can connect with doctors online.
Dr. DeGregorio: My pleasure. Thank you.
Camille: Filter for virtual visits in the UPMC Health Plan provider directory to find a doctor near you who is in-network and offering telehealth. Or use UPMC AnywhereCare to see a provider in minutes.
Find show notes and more information at upmchealthplan.com/podcast. Join us as we explore other health and wellness topics in the next episode of Health Break.
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes. It is not medical care or advice. Individuals in need of medical care should consult their personal care provider. Views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of UPMC Health Plan and its employees.
Related to this episode:
- Search the provider directory to find providers that offer telehealth appointments. When you search and view the results, you can filter your results by clicking Virtual Visits at the top of the list.
- Access UPMC AnywhereCare.*
About Dr. Nick DeGregorio:
Dr. Nicholas DeGregorio is an internal medicine physician currently serving as the senior medical director for UPMC for You, a Medicaid Managed Care Organization affiliate of UPMC Health Plan. Dr. DeGregorio completed his medical school training at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, an Internal Medicine Internship and Residency program at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master of Medical Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Additional areas of interest and support he provides at UPMC Health Plan include provider credentialing, quality improvement, patient-centered medical home, value-based reimbursement, opioid use disorder, overdose prevention, opioid use disorder in pregnancy, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and women’s health.
About Dr. Camille Clarke-Smith:
Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, is a program director in the Quality Improvement, Medicare Stars Department at UPMC Health Plan, where she leads the Medicare Faith and Wellness Program, a 3- to 12-week health and wellness challenge. She is also the founder of the nonprofit Transforming the Health of African American Women (THAW) Inc. She earned a doctorate in health and physical activity education from the University of Pittsburgh in addition to a master’s in exercise science and a bachelor’s in psychology and sociology. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in social work at Carlow University.
About Alex Treanor:
Alex Treanor is a lead health coach at UPMC Health Plan. As a lifestyle health coach, she specializes in helping you lose weight, eat healthy, get more physical activity, be less stressed, and quit tobacco. Alex has a master’s in Kinesiology, Integrative Wellness from Point Loma Nazarene University. She has been coaching since 2014 and is a Nationally Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach and Certified Personal Trainer. Alex is passionate about helping people improve their relationship with food and exercise while creating healthy, sustainable routines filled with enjoyment. Alex enjoys spending time with her husband, walking with her dog, and eating tacos in the sunshine.
*Members who are in Pennsylvania at the time of a virtual visit may select a UPMC-employed provider, subject to availability and discretion of the provider. Members located outside of Pennsylvania at the time of service or those who select Talk Therapy or Psychiatry services will receive care from a provider employed or contracted by Online Care Network II PC (OCN), also known as Amwell Medical Group. It is at the discretion of OCN providers to choose whether to treat patients ages 0 to 2. OCN is not an affiliate of UPMC. Limitations may apply for members of ASO plans who have opted out of coverage. Talk Therapy or Psychiatry services through AnywhereCare are not covered services for UPMC Community HealthChoices participants, UPMC for You members, or UPMC for Kids members. UPMC Children’s AnywhereCare is not available outside of Pennsylvania. If a member is under the age of 18, the member’s parent or legal guardian must be with the member during the video portion of the visit, and the child and parent or legal guardian must be in Pennsylvania during the visit. Providers are not available to treat members who are in Puerto Rico.
