I often see people in online communities for skin care, hair care, and optimized health, complaining that they weren’t exactly happy with the service they received from the medical provider they went to see in person.
This is usually caused in some part due to the patient’s concerns being brushed off, disagreement in the treatment plan, etc. Patients are especially annoyed when they have been waiting months for these appointments in some cases.
I think a lot of this may also have to do with the fact that some of these people have educated themselves online and are already coming in expecting a certain outcome – so it can be frustrating when a medical provider has a different opinion. In other cases, a patient might’ve unknowingly been turned away from a therapy that could have benefited them greatly.
Introduction
In my view, telehealth companies are a good solution and middle ground for people in these types of situations. I also want to write about them overall even for people who haven’t been actively looking into them because I think the benefits are huge and this article will provide a lot of valuable information on the subject.
I am not against traditional medicine – there is just a lot of inefficiency in the space which can be improved through things like telehealth. Let’s get into why telehealth is insanely useful.
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Specialized Knowledge
This is one of the most interesting points in terms of speaking about telehealth vs traditional clinics. Keep in mind when I talk about this it’s in the frame of a niche issue (acne, hair loss, TRT, etc). You likely wouldn’t seek out a telehealth company as your first choice for emergent surgery.
While everyone hopes that the provider they see is empathetic, specialized, and extremely knowledgeable on the exact topic they are seeing them for, this is not always the case. Some users online complain that they go to a local dermatology clinic looking to treat hair loss as an example and leave unsatisfied. The providers themselves may be against treating patients for a cosmetic issue, may disagree with certain medications that are standard, or unfortunately aren’t as knowledgeable about all of the details involved in the specific topic.
This is where telehealth comes in: as long as the company in your area is following relevant laws and standards these providers will at least be of the same quality. On top of that these providers will likely be specifically interested in and trained for the issue you are facing or concerned about. Many will be actively looking at the latest research on the topic.
Take hair loss for example, if you went to a telehealth company online that is focused on hair loss your provider would likely know about the nuance related to hair loss medications themselves. This includes things like potential side effects, dosing amount and schedule, topical vs oral delivery, potential off-label medications, adjunct therapies, and so on. For TRT: would you be able to get or have been informed about TRT therapies on an every-other-day dosing schedule to minimize side effects?
There are so many examples of this: telehealth clinics based around TRT for men, HRT for women, companies focused on acne and hair loss, etc. You as the patient have agency in choosing where you go for care and the ability to explore providers with differing opinions. By nature, telehealth companies involve the patient much more directly.
Reputable Sourcing
This is a huge point for me, when I want medication I don’t want the traditional hurdles of going to an appointment, getting it prescribed, going to another place to pick it up, etc. I also don’t want to buy medication from a “grey area” source where I have no idea if the product I’m receiving is quality and is what they claim it is.
Telehealth companies streamline the prescription process and often formulate their products or use compounding pharmacies as well. As long as the company I’m using has a good reputation, and is operating under relevant laws and standards, I’m happy to put my trust in them. This is compared to receiving a product from a sketchy source overseas that has less of an incentive to uphold standards.
This isn’t to say telehealth companies and compounding pharmacies haven’t had controversies in terms of medication quality. I still think the benefits of using someone licensed and registered in your local area will vastly outperform a random company overseas.
This is also a step to ensure you need the product in question. Imagine you are a rare case in which you have a condition caused by something different but you choose to do something yourself and end up worse off. Telehealth offers a key balance between safety, niche knowledge, and convenience.
Custom Formulations
This is another area where I feel like telehealth wins out compared to traditional clinics. Many of these companies offer a greater amount of customization in treatment.
Same hair loss example: if you look at some of the major companies in the hair loss space you will find topical treatments compounded together for maximum efficacy, different dosages, off-label medications shown to be effective for hair loss, etc. If you went locally would they even offer a topical solution?
The same goes for other aspects of health: how much of a hassle would it be to obtain a CGM as a non-diabetic? There are now multiple telehealth companies for that. Something previously limited by the subjective opinion of your local provider is now being offered legally and from a reputable source to those interested in optimizing their health.
Convenience
It wouldn’t be a good article on telehealth if it didn’t mention convenience. This is something I think is key in terms of improving education, compliance, and accessibility of treatment and information.
If the average patient has to wait for an appointment, physically go there, go somewhere else to receive the medication, or be rushed out before getting enough relevant information, they may not even want to start seeking treatment.
Compare that to going through automated questionnaires to find the best solution, and confirmation in consultation with licensed providers, it processes for some time while you are working or sleeping to be verified, and you are then shipped treatment. These companies also often provide quality sources of information to help inform you before making a decision.
Of course, each telehealth company will have a slightly different process depending on the niche but the overall process will be similar and more convenient than going in person.
My Experience
I have personally used a large variety of telehealth companies to receive convenient care. In fact, for many of my goals, I have never physically been to a clinic.
I have been treated for hair loss and acne through telehealth as well as optimized my health by getting a full blood panel ordered online. I’ve also been able to receive a CGM for further health optimization and monitoring. These formulations were customized to exactly what I wanted such as topical finasteride specifically compounded to keep the medication localized to the scalp, specific strengths of tretinoin for my goal of clearing up my skin, and blood panels consisting of all vital health markers, hormone levels, etc.
Most of these interventions are quite early for me – I’m on the younger side and I can assure you I would not have found what I was looking for with a conventional clinic in my area.
Conclusion
To summarize, telehealth is insanely useful! These companies offer specialized knowledge in many areas of health, reputable sourcing and customization of medications, as well as plain convenience for the patient.
Whether you’re seeking out the most innovative care possible or are just starting out looking for answers in an area of healthcare I would suggest considering telehealth as a potential solution.