Center Stage: Telemedicine and Virtual Foot and Ankle Care
Dr. McAlister and Virtual Visits
Dr. Jeffrey E. McAlister,a board-certified, trusted foot and ankle surgeon at Phoenix Foot and Ankle Institute in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ, now provides patients with the ability to communicate remotely with video. After recent governmental changes to the Medicare/ CMS laws, they have allowed physicians to see patients in a face-to-face virtual visit setting. Telemedicine is very useful in the post-operative period as well. After surgery, some patients are not able come into the office for follow-up care. Dr. McAlister takes his patient's care seriously and offers telemedicine visits whenever possible as it dampens the strain on the healthcare system.
The Benefits of Telemedicine for Patients
Telehealth or telemedicine system have been in use for more than 10 years in certain parts of the country. Its use has resulted in substantial savings for patients and healthcare facilities. These costs are passed on to the patient. For instance, the Veterans Affairs (VA) system started using telehealth in 2003. As a result, today the VA uses the technology in more than 700 ambulatory sites around the nation in 38 clinical specialties. More than 600,000 veterans benefit from these services. The VA reports extensive cost savings in these areas:
- Fewer inpatient days
- Reduced readmissions
- Decrease in hospital admissions
- Lowered overhead costs
The VA reports a savings of nearly $2,000 per patient with reductions in travel costs to and from doctor’s offices.
Telemedicine for Phoenix/Scottsdale Patients
Please call the office if you are interested in scheduling a post-op or existing patient visit via Telemedicine. Dr. McAlister is also seeing new patients remotely as well.
The optimal set up is to use a computer with a webcam and Chrome (web browser).