For minor medical conditions – such as cold sores/fever blisters, colds and seasonal allergies, sinus infections, and lower back pain – visiting a UAB Medicine urgent care clinic is a great choice. But if you’d rather not make an in-person visit, UAB eMedicine offers convenient on-demand urgent care for certain common illnesses and conditions.
Minor medical situations can occur anytime, but they seem to happen more often during the summer months. You may come into contact with poison ivy while hiking or gardening. You might need a prescription filled if you forget to pack certain medications for a vacation. Sunburn can cause other skin conditions to flare up. Those and other situations may call for urgent care, but visiting a clinic isn’t always convenient or even possible.
In such cases, telehealth technology allows UAB eMedicine to provide on-demand urgent care for common conditions. The service often saves patients a drive, lets them avoid taking time off work, and may prevent a long wait in a crowded clinic.
This could be especially helpful for area residents and visitors to the Birmingham metro area, where The World Games will be held this summer. Visiting athletes and spectators who converge for the various sporting events may increase the demand for urgent care, especially during months when heat exhaustion and related conditions are more likely to occur.
Two eMedicine Options
UAB eMedicine offers two on-demand urgent care options: the online questionnaire and the video visit.
The online questionnaire is a short form that patients complete to get a diagnosis for routine illnesses and common conditions. The care provider will suggest treatment options and call in any needed prescriptions. This service is available 24/7, and a UAB Medicine provider will respond during the hours of 8 am-5 pm Monday-Friday, 8 am-3 pm on Saturdays, and 1 pm-5 pm on Sundays.
With video visits, patients connect with a provider for a face-to-face online consultation using a computer or mobile device equipped with a camera. The provider will evaluate symptoms, make a diagnosis, recommend treatment, and send any needed prescriptions to the pharmacy you choose. Video visits are an option for conditions that require a virtual physical exam or an expanded evaluation.
More Details
If UAB eMedicine providers can’t safely diagnose your condition, there is no charge for the consultation, and you will receive a referral for additional care. No appointment is necessary for the online questionnaire or the video visit.
Using UAB eMedicine does requires a Wi-Fi Internet connection or a strong cellular signal. Video visits require that your computer or mobile device have a camera, and you will need to download the UAB eMedicine Video Visit app, which is available free from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Click here to learn more about conditions treated through UAB eMedicine On-Demand Urgent Care.