Telemedicine

A person is holding a smart phone in their hand.

Telemedicine, or a "virtual visit", is a consultation with one of our physicians or nurse practitioners via video conferencing.

Telemedicine is also a wonderful tool that we have at Riverside Pediatrics to connect our patients with the best in subspecialty care from the comfort and convenience of your home.

We are affiliated with the SC Telehealth Alliance via the Medical University of South Carolina to provide Telehealth Services for a variety of subspecialty services including pediatric nutrition and child psychiatry.

The opportunities for telemedicine are growing every day, and we are excited to be on the forefront of this technology to provide the best care for our patients within the medical home.

Virtual visits are not for all conditions and not all insurance companies will cover these visits. Please check with your insurance company to see if telemedicine visits are covered prior to the appointment.

We can provide care for most of the following acute care concerns:

Rash
Pink eye without fever in children over 2
Allergies
Constipation, diarrhea or vomiting
Minor traumas (lacerations, abrasions, bites)

We also provide Telemedicine appointments for behavioral and mental health concerns- both initial evaluations and follow up care as appropriate.

As we cannot listen to your child's lungs or see their ears, we cannot evaluate ear pain, significant coughs, or assess concerns that require laboratory evaluation such as urinary tract infections and strep or flu testing.

It is also possible that after video-conferencing, we may ask you to bring your child in for an in person sick visit if we need to perform a physical exam that reaches beyond the abilities of video conferencing.

Appointments for telemedicine visits can be made through our front desk or the portal. As of April 2021, many insurers no longer cover telehealth appointments. Please contact your insurer to confirm coverage prior to booking an appointment.

Have child practice opening their mouth wide for the camera with your flashlight
If cough or difficulty breathing, check your child?s respiratory rate (count the breaths per minute) and heart rate (see below)
Take several close-up photos of the rash to send (if requested).
Write down all of the medicines your child has been taking, and when they last took a dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Have current medications or inhalers/spacers available for viewing during the visit
Write down any questions you have, as you might forget them during the telemedicine visit!