Given our record cold temperatures, we wanted to share this first-person perspective from a mom who used Beacon Connected Care for the very first time. She never had to leave her home to see a doctor. I know just how grateful she felt, because this mom was me.

— Heidi Prescott, Beacon Corporate Communications

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Supermom. That’s the best way to describe how I felt after I took my son to see the doctor the other night without having to leave our home. In fact, we never left the couch.

Our family entered the brave new world of telemedicine. And you know what? I’m hooked. In fact, I would agree with anyone who says this is the future of medicine. I’ll tell you why we plan to use Beacon Connected Care again.

We saved time. A lot of time.

I came home from work and my son was sick. Instead of heading to a physical urgent care office or waiting until morning to schedule an appointment with the family doctor, I picked up my smartphone.

Our waiting room was our living room, which is reason enough to give telemedicine a try.

Within 10 minutes, my son and I were talking with a doctor in the convenience of our home. We received his notes electronically shortly after our call ended, and an hour later I picked up my son’s prescription at our regular pharmacy. I was able to give him his first dose before dessert.

This was time well spent.

If you haven’t already, you should download the Beacon Connected Care app like I did — ahead of time. That will save you even more time when you need to see the doctor.

The sign-up process is very straightforward. I didn’t have to search for social security numbers or medical information that wasn’t in my head. The other night, I only had to enter my son’s information and the reason for the appointment and we were good to go.

The entire process was so easy.

I’m going to come right out and admit something. I felt a little nervous waiting to be connected with a doctor.

I didn’t know what to expect from the doctor, from the appointment, from the technology I was about to use for what has always been an in-person encounter.

So I did what any parent would do – I handed the phone to my son when the doctor’s face appeared on the screen. The doctor introduced himself and confirmed we lived in Indiana as he made conversation with my teen, before asking how he was feeling and the reason for his visit.

While they were talking, I realized the doctor wasn’t physically sitting a few feet from us, but he was sitting a few feet from us virtually.

In this case, my son’s symptoms – sinus pressure, sneezing, achiness, fatigue, could all be seen or heard over the secure video or described in detail. The conversation felt the same way it would have had we been seated in a doctor’s office.

The doctor diagnosed my son with the flu, in case you’re wondering.

Minutes after we hung up, we received a detailed email containing the conversation topics, his diagnoses, prescribed medications, and other suggestions generated during the conversation. The doctor even provided my son with a sick slip for missing school.

Were we satisfied with Beacon Connected Care? You bet.

And there is no doubt we’ll use it again. Visit  www.beaconconnectedcare.org  or download the mobile app to sign up to see an urgent care physician.