Every year, somewhere between five and twenty percent of the population contract the flu. A person that has caught the virus can infect others up to six feet away. Even scarier, adults can infect other people one day before their flu symptoms even develop and they realize they’re sick.
If you do have symptoms of the flu, it is important to be tested and start treatment immediately, as delays in diagnosis and treatment may result in prolonging the symptoms and complications of the flu. And while most seek treatment at an emergency room (ER) or urgent care clinic, by leaving their home and exposing the virus to others, they’re only causing further spread of the flu. Plus, ERs and clinics can easily become overwhelmed with a high number of sick patients during flu season, leading to overcrowding, lengthy wait times and even physician burnout.
So if you’re sick and need medical treatment, but don’t want to leave home, what can you do?
We’ve partnered with DispatchHealth to offer our members an in-network, on-demand healthcare delivery service. Simply put, DispatchHealth travels so the flu doesn’t.
With a quick call, DispatchHealth’s board-certified medical team – also referred to as this season’s “Traveling Flu Crew” – will bring high-quality urgent care to your home so you can fight the flu without leaving the couch. They will arrive ready to perform a rapid infectious disease test, administer IV fluids, prescribe anti-nausea medication, prescribe antivirals if caught early enough, order a chest xray if pneumonia is suspected, and more. And unlike a crowded clinic, the DispatchHealth Traveling Flu Crew spends as much time as needed with each patient to thoroughly understand each person’s unique case and determine the most effective treatment plan.
In addition to the flu, DispatchHealth’s medical teams can treat common to complex injuries and illnesses, including urinary tract infections, migraines, respiratory infections, sprains and fractures, joint or back pain, and much more.
Each medical team consists of either a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, along with a medical technician and also an on-call (board-certified, locally licensed) physician. To ensure continuity of care, a detailed report is provided to each patient’s primary care physician.
Sounds expensive, right? Actually, a visit with DispatchHealth is covered by your insurance and typically costs 80-90 percent less than the average emergency room visit.
Staying home when you’re sick should be the standard of care. So the next time you’re in need of immediate medical care, stay cozy on the couch, give DispatchHealth a call and let a qualified team bring convenient, comfortable healthcare to you.