Arizona Hearing Specialists offers virtual visits to meet your audiologic needs if you cannot come into the office or prefer not to travel. Here’s what you can expect from a virtual visit, whether you can benefit from this type of appointment and why so many patients now choose remote sessions over in-person office visits.
How Do Virtual Visits Work?
Virtual visits allow patients to see audiologists remotely, whether through a phone appointment or online. Virtual appointments are also ideal for patients who have remote programmable hearing aids. With this newer technology, your audiologist can work with you to adjust your devices remotely, which allows you to stay in the comfort of your own home.
In most cases, your doctor will meet with you through a video call using an app on your smart phone. With this method, you and your provider can discuss how your hearing aids are working for you and it will allow you to provide feedback as your audiologist adjusts your devices in real time.
Benefits of Virtual Visits
If you are a patient already established with our office, virtual visits may be an excellent option.
Patients may choose virtual visits for a variety of reasons:
• Health and Safety: virtual visits allow patients to receive necessary services without having to leave the comfort of their home.
• Reduced Mobility: some patients experience reduced mobility and discomfort when not in their home environment.
• Saving on transportation costs: patients who must arrange and pay for transportation often prefer virtual appointments to save money.
• Caregivers: if someone is a full-time caregiver for a friend or family member, leaving the home may be difficult or out of the question entirely.
• Patients in Rural areas: if you live in a rural area, you may not have a licensed or qualified audiologist near you.
Is a Virtual Visit Best for You?
Currently, Medicare and most other insurers only allow for established patients to be seen for virtual visit services. That means that at least one appointment will need to be in-person to help establish care.
We can schedule your initial visit in-office to assess your hearing and your listening goals using our state-of-the-art equipment. If we then determine that hearing aids are an appropriate treatment option, those devices will also be fit in-office.
Once you have been fitted and counseled on your new technology, all future programming and troubleshooting appointments can occur remotely. This allows you to stay in the safety and comfort of your own home while still receiving the best care possible.
Call Arizona Hearing Specialists at (520) 742-2845 for more information or to schedule an appointment.