We’re Here for You—Even When You Can’t Make It to the Office
We know that it isn’t always easy to make time or secure transportation to get to a doctor appointment even in the best of circumstances. But as COVID-19 has forced all of us to be a lot more cautious about when and how we go out, you have even more reasons to avoid doing so.
Yet in many cases, proper care for your feet and ankles simply cannot wait. So what can you do?
One great option is to schedule a telemedicine appointment with Dr. Dailey at the Freeland Foot & Ankle Clinic. This allows you to get a visual examination, evaluation, and recommendations from a trained foot and ankle specialist, from the comfort and safety of home.
Can Telemedicine Really Do That?
Obviously, we are unable to perform any specific, direct procedures (such as giving you an injection) remotely. However, almost any service that does not expressly require administering a direct procedure can be performed easily and successfully via telemedicine. Examples include:
- Visual inspections. Dr. Dailey can visually inspect your foot or ankle over video and give you a diagnosis and/or recommendations on the next steps.
- Check-up appointments. Dr. Dailey can examine how a wound is healing, talk with you about how your rehab is going (after a previous treatment), or even screen share with you to go over the results of diagnostic testing.
- Questions and advice. Have a question about your health care and want answers from a real medical professional? Telemedicine is by far the easiest way to do it.
How Does It Work?
In order to have a telemedicine appointment with Dr. Dailey, you will need a stable internet connection and a device that can make video calls. Most patients prefer to use their smartphones. However, a suitably modern laptop/desktop computer with a webcam and microphone will also work well.
We use a system called Updox to enable secure, HIPAA-compliant 1-on-1 video calls between you and Dr. Dailey.
This is one of the easiest-to-use platforms, as it does not require you to download any special software or create any new accounts. The video call will play right in the web browser on your device. Most modern desktop and mobile browsers are supported, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
The web app may ask your permission to use the microphone and/or camera on your device. Be sure to grant it!
When it’s time for your appointment, we’ll email or text you a link to the secure video chat line. Just click the link and the appointment will begin.
What If I Still Need In-Person Care?
Our office is still open to respond to urgent and emergency foot and ankle care needs. This is an important service we provide to patients in order to keep them within the relatively safe environment of our office, rather than overcrowded hospitals, emergency rooms, and urgent care centers.
Urgent and emergency needs include things like:
- Conditions that are causing significant pain
- Foot and ankle injuries
- Diabetic foot concerns
- Infected ingrown toenails
(This is not a complete list.)
If you have any questions about whether your foot care need is urgent, or whether a telemedicine appointment would be a better choice, please call and ask. We are here to make sure you get the care you need while minimizing health risks to yourself and others.
For those who do need to see us in person, we want to be sure you know we are taking your health extremely seriously, and meeting or exceeding all of the CDC’s guidelines for sanitization, social distancing, and use of protective equipment in the office.
How Do I Request an Appointment?
If you’re ready to request your telemedicine appointment with us, please complete the form on this page.
A member of our office will follow up with you during our regular office hours to schedule your appointment, make sure you have everything you need, and answer any questions you may have.
If you’d prefer, you can also reach out to us directly by phone at (989) 695-6788.
We look forward to serving you—wherever you happen to be!