Mild fever or fever accompanied by rashes and other symptoms are different especially when it comes to children! Parents need to know what is the right option according to the situation. Is this the right situation to rush to the Emergency room of the hospital or book a telehealth consultation? Knowing both, parents and guardians can decide better options for their children.
Childhood immunisation reduces the risk of many health issues in children but still, if your child suffers from any condition, one must know which option is suitable in that situation.

Both of these options offer medical support according to the situation and the condition of the sick child. Especially when you don’t have an appointment with the specialist and you don’t want to compromise the health of your child.

The good health of a child influences their overall social and personal life. If your child is not feeling well there are given options and parameters to take as per the situation. Let’s depreciate between telehealth consultation and emergency care this will help you decide what’s right when your child needs medical assistance.

Telehealth appointments Vs. Urgent care: Differentiation

Telehealth consultations are considered to be doctor visits virtually. These Telehealth consultations are usually done via encrypted platforms of channels like Doctor Help.
Telehealth appointments are the best for addressing non-emergency situations and can usually be scheduled with the next available healthcare practitioners online. These are done from the comfort of your home, thus providing convenience and accessibility.

For handling the broader range of medical scenarios in person hospital visit is the best option as these emergency rooms are equipped to provide medical care. These options should be availed in emergencies such as illnesses or injuries. For situations that require diagnosis and screening such as X-rays or stitches emergency room or hospital visits are compulsion.

When to Choose Telehealth Consultation for your child?

Telehealth appointments are best at addressing common medical concerns and childhood ailments. Here are some of the examples where telehealth consultation seems to be a suitable solution.

• Mild illnesses: All the minor illnesses like the common cold, cough, sore throat, or pink eye. These conditions can be managed by online consultation as the symptoms are easily managed.
• Skin conditions: Eczema or minor allergies can be assessed and treated online, especially when you have a clear picture of the affected area to share with your doctor.
• UTIs: If your child shows the symptoms of frequent urination or burning, they are exhibiting the lower UTI and initial treatment can be done via online appointments. But if there are upper UTI or kidney infection symptoms such as fever, urine having blood and vomiting then in-person visits are significant.
• Medical Follow-ups: For quick check-ups and medication refills telehealth is the best option
• Stress: Not just for the children’s mental health parents especially mothers mental health is very important and thus you can use telehealth to speak to the doctors describing the behavioural changes of your child and their impact on your own mental health.
• Medication: For the prescription refill of your children telehealth could be the option.

Things to expect in a Telehealth Consultation?

Telehealth Consultations are engineered to provide efficient and convenient solutions.

The following are the things to expect from the online consultation:

• Appointment Scheduled: first you need to pick the telehealth service time and get started. You can have your telehealth appointment with the next available GP via Doctor Help.
• Call Preparation: After the payment is done, make sure that time all the available tests and previous medical records are present. Make sure to tell your medical consultant every detail about your child’s health
• Connecting with the platform: At the time of your scheduled appointment make sure to log in and prepare to tell your medical consultant every detail about your child’s health
• Consultation with diagnosis: This is the step where the healthcare practitioner provides you with the diagnosis and the treatment options according to the given medical history and the symptoms.
• Follow-up: It depends on the healthcare provider if they conclude another follow-up appointment to monitor the progress of the child.

When to choose the ER for urgent care of your child?

• Virtual appointments might be a fantastic tool for the non-emergency situation here are the reasons why you should pick ER for your child.
• High Fever: While a fever alone isn’t usually an emergency, an extremely high fever—especially in infants—or one paired with serious symptoms like a stiff neck or severe rash should prompt a visit to ER.
• Vomiting and Diarrhea: Though a mild stomach bug may pass on its own, ongoing vomiting or diarrhea can lead to dehydration, particularly in young children. ER can provide necessary fluids and medication to help your child recover more quickly.
• Ear Infections: Severe ear pain, especially if it’s accompanied by a fever or discharge, can be extremely uncomfortable for children. General Practitioners in the ER can diagnose ear infections and provide the appropriate treatment, including antibiotics if needed.
• Minor Injuries: For cuts needing stitches, sprains, or fractures, a physical exam and possibly X-rays are required, making the emergency room a more suitable option.
• Eye Injuries: If your child suffers an eye injury, such as a scratch or foreign object in the eye, a hospital emergency is the best place for a proper assessment and treatment.
• Breathing Difficulties: Signs of respiratory distress, like wheezing or difficulty breathing, demand immediate medical attention. In such cases, go directly to the emergency room.
• Severe Pain: While some pain issues can be addressed via telehealth, the Hospital is better equipped to handle cases of severe pain, especially if it’s accompanied by other alarming symptoms.
• Allergic Reactions: If your child has a severe allergic reaction involving difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or dizziness, call emergency services immediately and head to the emergency room. Telehealth isn’t suitable for these kinds of emergencies.

Steps to Take in Emergency?

These facilities are designed to ensure prompt services than emergency rooms for conditions that are not life-threatening.

Following are the steps to be taken for getting urgent care:

Paperwork: Once you check in you need to complete the paperwork by telling the condition of your child to the nurse or receptionist.
Primary Assessment: After the paperwork and details are there physical assessment will be done by the available medical practitioners so that the right course of treatment can be done.
Diagnosis and Treatment: Screening like an Xray or urinalysis is done to confirm the diagnosis and begin the treatment
Follow-up care: The healthcare providers may recommend another appointment for the follow-up to check on the progress in healing depending upon the child’s health condition.

Conclusion

Telehealth consultations and hospital emergency departments both offer the tools for the parents to navigate their child’s health concerns and get needed medical advice or care. When you know about the strengths of both available options making the right choice as per the given situation would become much easier for you. Remember telehealth consultations have the scope to deal with non-emergency by giving the convenience to get consultation from the comfort of your place. Whereas, Emergency departments are equipped with the best diagnosis and treatment. When you notice a disturbance in your child’s health make sure to pick the medical care options before it worsens rapidly.