AHN doctors using virtual appointments to help flatten coronavirus curve

ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. — To help flatten the coronavirus curve, health officials are urging people to pick up their phones instead of running to the doctor’s office.

With the growing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, Allegheny Health Network doctors hope telemedicine will become the norm.

“Now patients are hearing that, and they say as long as I can get care and get my questions answered, then I don’t care how that happens,” said Dr. Amy Crawford-Faucher, AHN vice chair of family medicine.

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Crawford-Faucher showed Channel 11 how it works, beginning with a patient downloading the MyChart app. From there, they can schedule an appointment and see a doctor virtually.

AHN doctors had 90 telemedicine appointments all last month. But with the rapid spread of coronavirus, that number skyrocketed to 100 yesterday alone.

The goal is to get patients showing symptoms to communicate with doctors before going to the emergency room. From there, the doctor can decide if a patient needs to be seen in person and get tested for coronavirus.

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