When you're sick, visiting a doctor's office or an urgent care facility can sometimes seem worse than the illness itself. You usually need to take unplanned time off work, drive to the provider's location, wedge yourself between other sick people, visit with a doctor who's running late and crunched for time and, finally, get a prescription written that you have to pick up from a pharmacy. Maybe those days are over. Today, telemedicine lets patients avoid the dreaded waiting room and videoconference with doctors on smartphones or tablets to diagnose ailments. Some pharmacies also have installed kiosks for patients to conference with doctors. This approach offers patients conveniences in two key scenarios: diagnosis and treatment of nonurgent ailments (such as ear infections) and continuous monitoring of high-risk patients (such as those with congestive heart failure).
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