SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 21st Medical Squadron’s providers are now offering Team Schriever and their families virtual appointments to expedite routine medical appointments.
“It’s over the phone and it’s only ten-minutes,” said Staff Sgt. Sharlot Davies, 21 MDS Access to Care Manager NCO in charge. “So be sure to answer your phone, because otherwise it’ll be considered a no-show.”
In order for patients to be scheduled for a virtual appointment a provider, or care line nurse, must identify a patient as better suited for a virtual appointment versus a face-to-face visit. Some patient needs eligible for virtual appointments are: medication follow-ups, laboratory and radiology result follow-ups, some mental health screenings as well as minor physical health evaluations.
“A lot of the providers were already doing these (virtual appointments), they just weren’t having appointments created, just calling the patient without having an established time-frame to contact (them),” said Staff Sgt. Sarah Wilson, 21 MDS patient administration NCOIC. “Patients weren’t having this important information relayed in an effective time or effective setting.”
Davies and Wilson confirmed virtual appointments are ultimately the Air Force Medical Service’s avenue for approaching the more routine medical necessities in a more effective way for both patients and providers. Virtual appointments are already serving as a clearly established and concise (ten minute) format for providers to keep their patients up-to-date.
“All bases should now have virtual appointment access,” Wilson said. “Each provider has four virtual appointments per day, already set aside.”
The 21 MDS stresses, with virtual appointments now up-and-running, to pay close attention to whether or not the provider has arranged for a patient to come in-person or be called for their next appointment and to double-check if unsure.
“The only thing most patients don’t know is when they have virtual appointments, they’re going to get a call,” Wilson said. “A lot of times they’ll get the appointment reminder through the reminder system and they’ll think the appointment is a face-to-face when it isn’t.”
The appointment reminder system is not yet synced with the virtual appointment regimen; however, if there are questions or concerns, the Schriever clinic is available to answer questions.
For any questions regarding the virtual appointment system, or to schedule a virtual appointment, call 21 MDS at 556-1060.