Get the Foot Evaluation You Need with Telemedicine

At NY Foot Health, we know many patients are staying home in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus and may be afraid to leave the house for medical appointments. Certain podiatric problems, however, cannot be ignored and need prompt evaluation. This is particularly important for patients with diabetes.  Any signs of a wound worsening, a new wound or ulcer developing or signs of infection are present, immediately call your podiatrist. Other symptoms to watch out for would include fever, redness, and warmth around the affected area. Other situations where immediate attention is necessary might include acute foot and ankle injuries (sprains or fractures), severe pain, swelling, or other unusual and uncomfortable symptoms. Not getting treatment in these situations can have far worse consequences then seeking medical attention. So, what should you do?

Initiate a Telemedicine Call

The vast majority of podiatrists are offering telemedicine services. If you are experiencing a problem, contact your podiatrist and ask if telemedicine services are available. (If you don’t currently have a podiatrist, use our online directory to locate one in your community.) Telemedicine means your podiatrist will be able to use audio and video services via the internet to have a face-to-face conversation with you in real-time about your symptoms. If you are already a patient, the foot doctor (podiatrist) will have access to your medical history and will ask questions about your current concern. New patients will need to provide a medical history. If your condition has visible symptoms, the foot doctor will be able to look at them. Once all the information possible via a telemedicine call has been obtained, the foot doctor will determine if you need to come in for an onsite visit or have any testing done. Although telemedicine does not allow the podiatrist to fully diagnose and prescribe treatment in all cases, it can greatly reduce the number of patients that need to be seen in the office.

If you are unable to get in touch with your podiatrist and need immediate attention, then call the emergency room in advance to check with the hospitals protocol for keeping you safe from Covid-19.

To learn more about podiatric health issues, contact us.