April 21, 2020
Phone and Video Doctor's Appointments During COVID-19 and Beyond
A lot of things have changed during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but one thing that remains the same is your ability to get the quality health care you need from Denver Health. In response to the continued recommendations from our public health officials to stay at home when possible and practice social distancing, Denver Health has rapidly expanded its telehealth (telemedicine) services, allowing patients to speak with their providers from the comfort and safety of their own homes. This expansion will provide a new option for care for all of our patients during the pandemic as well as into the future once it has passed.
What is a Telehealth Appointment?
Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, refers to a doctor's appointment by phone or video chat. Right now, Denver Health is offering mostly phone appointments to patients for primary care and a wide variety of specialty services. New and existing Denver Health patients can schedule or request to change an appointment to telehealth through the free MyChart app or by calling our appointment center at 303-436-4949. Our appointment center will let you know if a telephone or video appointment is available.
Just as with in-person visits, we offer telehealth appointments in both English and Spanish, as well as a wide variety of other languages covered by our language interpretation services.
How Does a Doctor's Appointment by Phone Work?
Both current and new Denver Health patients should call 303-436-4949 to schedule a telephone appointment with your doctor. On the day of your appointment, all you need is a telephone, whether it's a landline, flip phone or smartphone – any type of telephone will do. Patients do not need to have any special equipment or special apps on their phone for a telephone appointment.
We recommend having your appointment in a quiet, private room, where you are comfortable discussing all of your health care needs without interruption. Finding a room with good phone reception is key to a successful appointment.
Telephone visits are processed by insurance in the same way as an in-person visit. There may be co-pays associated with the visit, so please check with your insurance provider for details.
How Do Video Doctor's Appointments Work?
At this time, most of Denver Health's appointments will be conducted by telephone, but some appointments will be available as video visits, which can be conducted via a smartphone, tablet or a computer with a camera.
Patients who are doing video chats will need to sign up for MyChart and ExtendedCare accounts. Please see instructions in the links below:
- Download instructions: Set up Telehealth video visits on your Apple iOS device
- Download instructions: Set up Telehealth video visits on your Android device
We recommend having your appointment in a quiet, private room, where you are comfortable discussing all of your health care needs without interruption. Finding a room with good WiFi and phone reception is key to a successful appointment.
Video visits are processed by insurance in the same way as an in-person visit. There may be co-pays associated with the visit, so please check with your insurance provider for details.
What Services are Offered Through Telehealth?
Denver Health offers telehealth (telemedicine) appointments for primary care and a wide variety of specialty services. As of April 21, 2020 those services include:
- Primary care - including internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics
- Birth control & family planning
- School-based Health Centers
- Dermatology
- Neurology
- Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Pulmonary
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Hematology and oncology
- Endocrinology
- Nephrology
- Orthopedics
- Rehabilitation services - including Physical Therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy
- Surgical services
How Can I Communicate With My Doctor After My Appointment?
All patients can send messages to their doctors anytime, anywhere using the free MyChart app. MyChart also allows patients to order their prescriptions through the mail, view a summary of their last doctor's visit, see their lab results, pay their bills online and check-in for a doctor's appointment ahead of time.
