How To Use An Online Doctor: An Amwell Review
This post is sponsored by Amwell, however, all opinions and experiences are my own. In the event of an emergency, please visit your local hospital.
On my list of pros and cons, traveling and being away from our local doctors is always a concern of mine. Traveling with kids is already an adventure, so trying to locate a doctor when someone is sick is always challenging and sometimes expensive. When we’re traveling our goal is to get back on the road as quickly as possible so that we can continue to enjoy our adventures together–happy and healthy!
Have You Considered An Online Doctor?
Every year we’re finding more ways that the internet can make our lives easier. Our homes are filled with personal assistants like Alexa and Google Home. We use our phones as maps, to order our groceries and even to have takeout delivered to our door. It should really be no surprise to us that we’re seeing a rise in those interested in seeing a doctor online.
This is especially true for those looking to see a doctor while traveling. Most of the time we’re forced to visit an Urgent Care facility and sometimes we wait for hours and walk out with an expensive bill. Many have wondered if there is a better solution. Well, the simple answer is YES, there is.
My readers get a 50% Amwell discount code: BREEZEL Find a doctor now: click here.
Our Full Amwell Review and Experience
I was asked by Amwell to set up on online Urgent Care visit and walk through the experience so that I could review it for all of you. As I’ve mentioned before, being away from our local doctors is always a concern of mine when we’re away from home, so I was excited to test out this experience.
Little did I know how valuable this experience would be for me personally. Yesterday I got a call from the school and they informed me that my oldest daughter was running a fever. I brought her home and decided now was the time to give Amwell a try.
Does Amwell Take Insurance?
The answer is yes, they take insurance. To see is they accept your insurance please visit here.
How Does Amwell Work?
First, you will want to download the Amwell app to your mobile device. I downloaded it right onto my iPhone from the App Store.
Next, you’ll create a log in. This was simple and easy to do. Once I was logged in, I could choose between these services:
- Urgent Care – The fastest way to see a doctor for common conditions.
- Behavioral Health – Qualified therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists providing evaluations and treatment.
- Specialty Care – See a wide variety of specialists in your region for unique or complex courses of care.
- Hospital Care – Follow-up care and outpatient services by the nation’s leading hospitals and clinics.
- Healthy Living – Programs for a healthier life like weight loss, breastfeeding support, and more.
For this Amwell review, I will only be covering an Urgent Care visit.
Once you choose the Urgent Care service, you’ll be asked to select if this visit is for medical, children’s medical or women’s health. I was using this visit for my daughter so I clicked children’s medical.
Picking a Doctor
The next step is going to be picking a doctor. You’ll see a list of providers that are available along with a notification of how many patients are waiting to see them. You can choose to see the next available provider or you can research the providers and choose your own. You can even see what languages the doctors speak.
When I was picking a doctor I knew that my 11-year-old daughter would be more comfortable speaking with a female doctor, so I looked for one with at least 10 year’s experience. Picking my own doctor did result in about a 10 minute wait time. If this appointment had been for me, I would have just went with the next available, however, I love the option of choosing which doctor I feel I’d be most comfortable speaking with.
My readers get a 50% Amwell discount code: BREEZEL Find a doctor now: click here.
Be Prepared For the Visit
Once you’ve chosen a doctor, you’ll walk through a series of questions. It’s much like filling out paperwork at a doctor’s office. You’ll report on your medical history, your current symptoms, and you’ll share information on any current medication you’re taking. You’ll also look up the pharmacy you want to use, so be sure you know which pharmacies are located near you.
I also had a pen and paper handy so that I could take notes on anything the doctor said or recommended. This isn’t necessary because they will send you notes after your visit but I always like having a pen and paper nearby just in case.
Speaking With the Doctor
We spoke with a very nice doctor who was very thorough. My daughter had a sore throat and the doctor had us shine a flashlight on her tonsils so she could get a good look at them. The provider talked directly with my daughter which I appreciated. She listened as my daughter described her symptoms and then she asked a lot of questions to help her better understand how she was feeling. I left the call with plenty of information on what illness these symptoms could be tied to.
One thing to keep in mind is that the doctor might recommend that you see someone to get further testing. For my daughter, her recommendation was to be tested for step throat and also the flu.
TIP: Be sure to request a doctor’s note if you need one.
Amwell Discount Code
I believe Amwell provides a service that many of us need in our lives. I feel more confident now when traveling, knowing that I have Amwell in my back pocket. I’m excited to offer my readers a 50% discount code to assist them with their Amwell online doctors visit. Enter code “BREEZEL”.