Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us met with our healthcare providers in person, at their offices. Telehealth services were offered by many organizations before this period, but most of us did not know about, or utilized them. In fact – only an estimated 7 to 11 out of every 1,000 visits were performed remotely between 2012-2019 (1). According to a report by the CDC, the use of telehealth services increased by 154% in March of 2020 when compared to the previous year, and has remained relatively high since (2).
Luckily we’re through the pandemic, but healthcare services via telehealth are clearly her to stay. So we thought we would share some of the benefits of meeting with a provider remotely, and what can you expect when working with a Karuna dietitian in this format.
BENEFITS OF TELEHEALTH SERVICES
Convenience
The most obvious benefit to meeting with a provider virtually is that it can be done from wherever you want – whether that’s from home, in your car, at work, etc. Remote appointments give you the flexibility to see your provider in whatever setting works best for you. You’re able to save time (and gas money!) by not having to commute to your provider’s office, which may allow for more regular, or longer sessions than you could attend in person. This may also motivate you to see your provider more often, helping you to form a stronger patient-practitioner relationship, develop a quality care plan, and hold yourself accountable.
Low Stress
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic being generally considered to be a thing of the past, many people still experience a great deal of anxiety around trips to a healthcare setting. Now that the mask mandate has been lifted, these individuals may have to deal with even more stress about their safety and well-being when scheduling these visits. Meeting with your provider remotely helps to remove this barrier, offering services from wherever you feel most comfortable to do so. Telehealth appointments can also be very helpful for those who suffer from social phobias, who may prefer to meet virtually rather than in a crowded office setting. In addition, you may feel more comfortable discussing more sensitive topics in a virtual setting than face-to-face with your provider.
Ease of Continuity of Care
Participating in virtual sessions allows for the opportunity to meet with multiple providers at once, helping you to keep your care team connected and informed. Most providers utilize an EHR (electronic health records) software, where notes are available from your sessions and can easily be shared with other practitioners. You can also typically cancel or reschedule appointments from these sites, as well as communicate with your providers via messaging.
Insurance Coverage
Most insurance companies now cover the cost of telehealth appointments! You can use this tool to check which services are covered by your policy.
TELEHEALTH SESSIONS AT KARUNA
Karuna’s Philosophy
The word “Karuna” is sanskrit for “compassion”, and our providers work to bring compassion and empathy into every session. We operate with a weight-neutral, Health at Every Size (HAES) lens, focusing on improving food-body relationships and supporting you throughout your health journey. Contrary to popular belief, dietitians are NOT the food police – at Karuna, we take an anti-diet approach, emphasizing putting foods into your body that help you to operate at your best and bring you joy. We work to remove any negative labels that may be associated with certain foods based on misguided societal stigmas so that eating can be seen as a positive experience. We work alongside therapists, physicians, or whoever else on your care team you’d like kept in the loop in order to provide you with the most well-rounded care possible, and strive to create an inclusive, safe environment for all of our patients.
What to Expect From Your First Visit
During your initial appointment with a Karuna Registered Dietitian, you can expect to discuss your health background, family health history, your relationship with food over the years, medications, surgeries, and why you’re seeking nutrition counseling. Your dietitian will work to gauge what your typical daily intake looks like, and may have you keep a food log for a few days in order to evaluate your baseline. They will also want to learn about any food allergies, intolerances, or aversions that you may have, as well as chronic conditions and how they affect you. Movement history will also be discussed, such as exercise frequency and type, participation in sports, how much you move at your job, etc.
Subsequent Visits
At the visits that follow, your provider will work to get to know you better and build rapport so that you feel comfortable working with them. They will provide you with nutrition education and help you to improve your dietary patterns and behaviors to better fit your goals, conditions and lifestyle. In order to best suit your needs, your dietitian will personalize your care – we never take a one-size-fits-all approach at Karuna, because #EVERYbody is different! Your dietitian will help to make you feel supported and validated throughout your journey. It’s important to remember that dietitians are not doctors – we can’t diagnose conditions or prescribe medications, but we can help you to make sure you’re properly nourished, improve your relationship with food and your body, and help get to the bottom of GI issues through carefully monitored elimination/reintroduction of foods, among other things.
If you think that working with a Karuna dietitian is right for you, CLICK HERE the button below to schedule an intake call!
Interested to learn more about how one of our dietitians might support your health goals? Use this link to schedule an free Intake call to get your questions answered today!
