KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As fears continue over the spread of the coronavirus, most insurance companies and hospitals are saving patients from a trip to the doctor's office through apps.
"A lot of times people will overreact," said Tim O'Brien, vice president and executive director of care delivery for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. "This can usually kind of bring rest and ease to those while they're still at home and maybe they don't need to go to the ER and go schedule an appointment, they can handle it right there."
A virtual visit with the doctor can be done in a matter of minutes, but with the same amount of care.
"It's the same typical experience you have in a doctors office," O'Brien said.
The apps also help keep patients out of busy waiting rooms and away from other illnesses.
"Sometimes (the wait) could be up to 90 minutes to longer depending on how many people are waiting to be seen already," said Jessica Pepper, area manager of Saint Luke's Community Care Clinics.
Flu season hit hard this year, and Pepper told 41 Action News that as a result, it filled up Saint Luke's Community Care Clinics across the metro area.
"All of our clinics are seeing higher numbers of patients than normal for this time of year for us," Pepper said.
With concerns mounting over the coronavirus, patients have a number of apps to choose from for care.
Saint Luke's has a 24/7 app, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City has Blue KC Virtual Care. Both provide a step-by-step process for patients, allowing them to type in their symptoms, speak with a doctor and get a diagnosis.
However, O'Brien said apps are not meant to take the place of your doctor, but to make certain situations easier.
"We never want to get between a patient and the physician. We always want to keep that interaction whole, but sometimes the ease of getting that office appointment, whether it's timing or location, isn't always convenient," O'Brien said.
