Jefferson Health Adds an On-Demand Virtual Care App to Its Telemedicine Program
Philadelphia, Pa. (PRWEB) September 16, 2015 -- Jefferson Health has added a new feature to its telemedicine program, JeffConnect, called On-Demand Virtual Care, which allows patients to connect with an emergency medicine physician via computers and mobile devices. Through the JeffConnect On-Demand Virtual Care app, physicians can diagnose and recommend treatment for non-emergent issues like stomach aches, cold and flu, infections, or identify whether a patient needs to seek further treatment at an urgent care center or emergency department.
The launch of this app comes at a perfect time for Philadelphia residents and visitors, as they prepare for limited travel routes and options throughout the city during the Papal Visit. By using JeffConnect’s On-Demand Virtual Care app, patients can avoid traveling for non-emergent cases that can be handled virtually by a Jefferson physician.
“Our goal is to make sure everyone can get the care they need,” said Judd Hollander, M.D., Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean for Strategic Health Initiatives. “When you’re not sure if what you’re experiencing requires a trip to the hospital, you can call us. We’ll either be able to treat you virtually, or offer other options that may be more convenient for you than an emergency department visit.”
Jefferson Health is committed to delivering healthcare to patients where they want it, how they want it - allowing them to avoid a potentially long wait in the emergency room, and offering them the peace-of-mind and convenience of accessing healthcare in their own homes.
Currently, physicians are accessible 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m., and the hours will be extended to 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning September 21st. The service is available for use in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Patients do not need to be a resident of those states; therefore, visitors coming to the region for the Papal Visit will be eligible to use it. Physicians can write necessary prescriptions for patients using the app in Philadelphia and Delaware.
The cost for a physician’s visit via the On-Demand Care App is $49, which Dr. Hollander says is relatively inexpensive compared to other options that a patient may have. “Depending on your situation, using the JeffConnect app could be less than an office visit or an emergency department visit, all the while being considerably more convenient than these options,” he says.
To sign up for JeffConnect and begin using the On-Demand Virtual Care App, search “JeffConnect” in the app store or log on to http://www.jefferson.edu/jeffconnect.
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About Jefferson — Health is all we do.
Our newly formed organization, Jefferson, encompasses Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, representing our academic and clinical entities. Together, the people of Jefferson, 19,000 strong, provide the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, educate the health professionals of tomorrow, and discover new treatments and therapies that will define the future of health care.
Jefferson Health comprises five hospitals, 13 outpatient and urgent care centers, as well as physician practices and everywhere we deliver care throughout the city and suburbs across Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties in Pa., and Camden County in New Jersey. Together, these facilities serve more than 78,000 inpatients, 238,000 emergency patients and 1.7 million outpatient visits annually. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the largest freestanding academic medical center in Philadelphia. Abington Hospital is the largest community teaching hospital in Montgomery or Bucks counties. Other hospitals include Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience in Center City Philadelphia; Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia; and Abington-Lansdale Hospital in Hatfield Township.
Thomas Jefferson University enrolls more than 3,900 future physicians, scientists, nurses and healthcare professionals in the Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC), Jefferson Colleges of Biomedical Sciences, Health Professions, Nursing, Pharmacy, Population Health and is home of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
For more information and a complete listing of Jefferson services and locations, visit http://www.jefferson.edu.
Gianna DeMedio, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, http://www.jefferson.edu, +1 215-955-5507, [email protected]
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