Telemedicine works to flatten the curve

Dr. Barry Bertolet is meeting with his heart patients through a telemedicine process.

Seeing their doctor while this pandemic continues... and it's probably in your hand right now... "have you been around anyone that has been tested for the covid virus or exposed to the covid virus that you're aware of?

And you've not been tested for the covid virus?

Okay, check in with one of the ladies up front."

Before you walk in to the cardiology associates of north mississippi clinic...these are the questions you're asked... these questions are extremely important to heart patients because they are at a higher risk if they're exposed to the coronavirus... "heart disease isn't going on quarantine and it's not taking an extended spring break and so people are still going to have heart problems that we need to address."

And doctor barry bertolet is addressing those problems through telemedicine... stand up "now no matter where you are or what you're doing you have access to your doctor."

Patients can now meet with dr. bertolet through facetime or a phone call (nats) ...he says so far people who have used this method find it convenient... "we've talked to one man while he was building his deck and we've talked to one lady while she was riding her bicycle so a lot of people can go about daily activities and take a little time to get on the phone and have a conversation with us."

While this may be ideal for some...the clinic is still open for business as usual... "if they want a face to face, we are still doing those visits here at the clinic but for new and returned patients we are offering those virtual visits."

There is a downside to telemedicine "obviously we can't examine the patient and so that's one thing we miss when we do these virtual visits but for a short time that can be deferred for safety reasons.

But dr. bertolet says it will help flatten the curve .