In this category, everything you need to know about doctors, ranging from but not limited to salaries, specializations, and career choices is made known.
Here are the selected Questions to Ask Your Doctors in order to understand your health better
You have the right to ask doctors questions concerning your health and treatments. When a doctor needs information from you, he goes ahead to question you to the best of his satisfaction so that he can make informed decisions on treatments and procedures for you.
This same rule applies to you as a patient as well.
Overview of the Questions to Ask Your Doctors
Getting the best healthcare means patients should also be willing to ask questions about their treatments, medicines, and whatnot from the health professionals overseeing their treatments.
When you ask questions, you will be informed on what next to expect in terms of treatments.
You also want to ask questions, so you are safe when treatments are being given. The best thing to do as a patient is to ensure you and the health professionals handling your treatments are on the same page, and that means asking questions.
You can print these questions or probably write them down in your diary, so you don’t forget to cover any of them. You can also go ahead to pen down the names of the drugs you are on if they are complex and many to remember offhand.
Different Questions to Ask Your Doctors
There are unlimited questions patients can ask doctors and these questions depend on the treatment they are to undergo or are currently receiving. Below are some of these questions patients can ask their doctors:
Questions related to health status
Here are some of the questions you can ask your doctor concerning the present conditions of your health:
What is the name of the disease? Or is there any other name (s) for this condition?
Could you assist in writing the name down?
What could have caused it?
Is it a contagious disease that can be passed to anyone?
Is the disease a serious one?
What are the chances? Is it going to subside or get worse as time goes on?
Does it require treatment (s), and what are the treatments?
Do I need to see a specialist on this? or what exactly should I do?
Is there any activity I should engage in to stand a chance against this condition?
How long does it take to leave?
Are there available support groups I can join with regards to this condition?
Questions with regards to tests
There are a ton of tests conducted at any hospital. Tests include urine tests, blood tests, x-rays, scans and many others. Tests such as pap tests for women are beneficial and straightforward tests to go for. But there are tests that connote otherwise, such as mammograms, which are usually done to screen for possible lumps in women’s breasts.
You should know the difference between the tests you are to undergo so you know the likely results you will be expecting.
Do I still need to have these tests after this time?
Are there benefits of having this or not?
Are there alternative tests to these?
Are the results that accurate or not?
Can these results tell if there are underlying conditions?
What does a positive result mean?
What does a negative result mean?
Do I need to do something in preparation before the test?
What is the cost of the tests? Are there extra fees to be paid?
How soon do I need the tests?
How soon do I need the tests conducted?
How do I get the result, and when will it be available?
Questions related to treatments
You should always note that treatments do not revolve around medicines alone; it also involves diets to stick to and the ones you should ditch to ensure proper recovery.
Here are some of the questions you should ask your doctor concerning treatments of the condition:
What is the treatment called?
How effective is it on a scale of 10?
What is the evidence for this treatment?
Does this treatment have side effects? If so, what are they?
Are there available alternative ways to treat this condition? If so, please elaborate on them?
How long will this treatment take before completed?
Is it compulsory to this treatment?
Are there safer alternatives to this treatment? If so, what are they?
What will happen if I don’t go for this treatment?
What is the cost of this treatment?
How quickly do I have to commence the treatment?
Does this treatment cater for by medicare or by private health insurance or what?
Questions concerning medicines
You need to keep a medicines list where the details of the drugs are written, the strength of the drugs, and when to take the drugs. Here are some of the questions you should ask your doctor with regards to the medicines you are given:
Why is this medicine needed?
Is there evidence for this medicine to be used?
For how long am I to use this medicine?
Are there side effects to this medicine? If so, what are they?
What should I do if I experience these side effects?
What would happen if I decided not to take this medicine? Would my health get worse?
Are there alternative medicines that do not have side effects or have lesser side effects?
How and when should I take this medicine? Should I use it with food or drink?
Will this medicine interact with other medications I take like herbal solutions, vitamins and others?
Does the medicine need to be in the refrigerator?
If I don’t see the actual one at a pharmacy, can I use the alternatives recommended?
Is there anything to do if I miss my regular dose?
Can this medicine be taken if I am pregnant?
How much does it cost to get this medicine, and is there any possible coverage for it?
Closing Thoughts on Questions to Ask Your Doctors
We are all used to answering questions from the doctors but fail to ask important questions related to our health from these medical professionals.
Asking questions from a doctor whenever you are ill is one of the best things you can ever do for your wellbeing because it makes you well-informed about what’s going on with you, what you need to do, and how to do it.
Best online doctor in recent is what most households are adopting and this adoption was escalated amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The best online doctors are technology-driven health and medical services that allow you to receive health care virtually, without the need to visit a physician’s office in person.
You can now make digital appointments for all health issues including primary care, dermatology, mental health services, women’s healthcare, men’s healthcare, and more.
The best online doctor is equally referred to as telemedicine and is becoming a more viable option where the majority of people are self-isolating and socially distancing.
Using your internet or smartphone you can get in touch with a physician seamlessly at your own comfort.
Overview of the best online doctor
The best online doctor comes with many promising advantages however the cons are equally present.
In this article on the best online doctor, we will consider you make your individual research through the links that will be provided in this article. Also, the essential things to consider before choosing among the best online doctor.
How to know the best online doctor?
To take a clever approach towards contacting the right virtual doctor or physician, there are things you consider. These are key elements that make online doctor services safe, reliable, and effective.
Service availability
Response time
Wait time
Specialty
Note score
Communication platform
Service availability
The availability of services a platform has to offer is an effective route to choosing among the best online doctors.
An Internet medical service provider should be readily available to offer patients a wide spectrum of care, including treatment for acute and chronic health issues mental and behavioral health care, preventative care, and prescription and lab services.
Response time
How effective is telemedicine in responding to patients? This is among the key elements to be considered in choosing among the best online doctors in 2022.
Wait time
This is one of the reasons people shy away from visiting the hospitals physically. In conjunction with wait time, there is a huge discouragement when people go to hospitals and wait for hours before being attended to.
Telemedicine rated among the best online doctor should be able to curb this discouraging factor of wait time for patients.
Specialty
Specialization facilitates professionalism, in order to choose among the best online hospitals, is essential you consider the specialty of a given platform. You want to make sure their medical coders are also specialized and use a CDI pocket guide for correct coding.
Note score
This is an essential factor to be considered in choosing among the best online doctors. All of the best online doctors included here ranked better on the score note.
This score is based on key elements like convenience, technological advancement, personalization, and others.
Communication platform
On which device can the online doctor be found or how accessible is the online doctor? Communication platform must not be neglected in choosing among the best online doctor.
List of the best online doctor
The list of the top 2022 best online doctor is in no specific order however, all the online medical and health service platforms listed are worth a try.
MDlive
HealthTap
Teladoc
Doctor on Demand
Lemonaid
Maven
Amwell
PlushCare
Roman
Anytime Pediatrics
BetterHelp
MDlive
This company was founded in 2009 and is a leading telehealth provider of online and on-demand healthcare delivery services and software that benefit patients, hospitals, employers, payers, physician practice groups, and accountable care organizations.
They have a cloud-based Virtual Medical Office software platform that makes it possible for patients, medical professionals, and plan administrators to collaborate seamlessly and securely via voice, video, email, and mobile devices.
Payers and providers can also utilize the HIPAA-compliant system to collect and share clinical data from patient medical records, lab results, and in-home biometric devices for real-time risk assessments, wellness advice, diagnosis, and treatment.
This health and medical service delivery company is in no doubt among the top 2021 best online doctors that offer affordable consultations via a nationwide network of board-certified physicians and licensed therapists.
Why choose MDlive as your best online doctor
Readily available 24/7 via a browser or smartphone app
Upfront pricing
Accepts insurance
Offers primary care in addition to dermatology, therapy, and psychiatric services
You can browse doctor profiles and schedule an appointment online
Live chat is available for hearing impaired persons
Limitations of MDlive as your best online doctor
Payment collected prior to your appointment
longer Wait time
HealthTap
This company was founded in 2010 with a bold and ambitious mission: to give real-time access to high-quality, affordable healthcare to all.
HealthTap is a technology company delivering a suite of connected health apps. Their customers include health systems, insurance companies, and (self-insured) employers.
The main service offered by HealthTap is the ability to ask health questions, online and via mobile devices, to a network of U.S.-licensed physicians for free.
They also offer the ability to connect immediately or by appointment with a doctor for consultation via video conference, phone call, or text chat.
There are currently a number of versions of HealthTap available across several platforms and devices, including a version for the web along with applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Why choose HealthTap as your best online doctor
Available 24/7 through a browser and smartphone app
In addition to primary care, pediatric, counseling, and psychiatric services are also offered
On-demand telehealth services are available by the membership at $15 per month
You can search providers by specialty and user scores and schedule appointments online
For non-members, there is a free service to assist with medical decisions and answer general questions about a specific health concern
Limitations of HealthTap as your best online doctor
Services are covered by only a small handful of health insurers
The monthly fee will continue to be billed to your credit card or Paypal account even if you don’t use the service
The free services are either automated (such as their symptom checker) or take 24 hours before a medical question is answered.
Teladoc
Teladoc Health, Inc. is multinational telemedicine and virtual healthcare company based in the United States.
Primary services include telehealth, medical opinions, and licensable platform services. In particular, Teladoc Health uses telephone and videoconferencing software as well as mobile apps to provide on-demand remote medical care.
Teladoc lets you talk to a huge variety of medical specialists virtually, quickly, and for free using your existing healthcare plan, no matter what kind of medical issue or specialization you need to help treat your health concern or condition.
Just request a specialist, talk to your doctor over video or audio chat, and have them write a prescription or give you expert medical advice.
Billed as the first and largest telemedicine company in the United States, Teladoc Health was launched in 2002 and has acquired companies such as BetterHelp in 2015, Best Doctors in 2017, and Advance Medical in 2018. This company makes the list of best online doctor in 2021.
It trades on the NYSE and in 2019 was active in 130 countries and served around 27 million members.
Why choose teladoc as your best online doctor
Accepts most major insurance, as well as HSA and FSA
Online doctor visits are very generous in length, basically as long as you need
No appointment necessary
shorter wait time
Limitations of Teladoc as your best online doctor
Visits cost more than high-quality competitors unless you have decent insurance and/or pay an annual membership fee
Doctor on Demand
Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, and Adam Jackson founded the company in 2012 to provide fast, easy, and cost-effective access to high-quality medical and behavioral health care.
The lack of access to affordable healthcare is a growing problem, making the mission of doctor on demand that much more important. They can connect anyone with or without insurance to high-quality physicians, saving valuable time and money.
Hundreds of employers and health plans trust Doctor On Demand to provide care to their tens of millions of employees and members.
Doctor on demand put the patient first, developing long-term patient-doctor relationships, and providing families with peace of mind through fully integrated mind and body care.
Why choose Doctor on-demand as your best online doctor
Easy to visit or schedule appointments
High quality of medical care
Accepts most major insurance
No membership or subscription fees
Limitations of as your best online doctor
Visit duration wasn’t the most generous
High cost when uninsured
Lemonaid
Provider of an online telemedicine platform intended to bring affordable healthcare to patients. The company’s online telemedicine platform takes details of medical history, symptoms, current medicines, and allergies and uses evidence-based guidelines to give a prescription, enabling users to get improved, quality care that is accessible and available at a reduced cost.
Lemonaid Health logo
It was founded in 2013 by Ian Van Every, Jason Hwang, Paul Johnson, and co.
They work to bring ultra-low-cost healthcare to everyone in America and to make primary care so affordable and accessible that everyone can get great care when they need it, regardless of insurance.
Why choose Lemonaid as your best online doctor
Very competitive pricing that is lower than typical copays for many services
Offers telemedicine services across a wide range of conditions, comparable to more expensive competitors
Website and mobile app are both intuitive and user-friendly
Partner pharmacies facilitate home delivery of your prescriptions if desired
Limitations of Lemonaid as your best online doctor
Insurance is not accepted for doctor consultations (though, as described above, visit costs are comparable to insurance copays)
Maven
Maven was founded in 2014 by Katherine Ryder 2014 with the core vision of reimagining healthcare for women and families from the ground up after seeing firsthand how the lack of access to care impacted those starting a family and returning to work as new parents.
The company takes a holistic approach to women and family health, offering you access to experts that range from physicians and nutritionists to back-to-work specialists who can help new mothers transition back to their jobs. The app also hosts a robust peer community, where you can converse with other members.
Maven’s telemedicine service is not for women only. The app serves same-sex parents and offers adoption services in addition to family medical care.
Why choose Maven as your best online doctor
Available 24/7 via a browser or smartphone app
Offers comprehensive telehealth services for women and their families, including fertility counseling, perinatal care, midwife services, mental health counseling, and pediatric primary care
Upfront pricing, starting as low as $20 per visit
Offered as a member benefit by some health insurers
Limitations of maven as your best online doctor
Although some insurers offer the service to their members, the company does not accept insurance
Pricing varies by the duration of the appointment, with longer appointments incurring additional fees
Mental health provider appointments can be more expensive, starting at $70 for 40 minutes
Should not be considered a substitute for in-person perinatal care or midwifery services
Amwell
This company was founded in 2006 by Ido Schoenberg and Roy Schoenberg. It was formerly known as American Well, is a telemedicine company based in Boston, Massachusetts, that connects patients with doctors over secure video.
It sells its platform as a subscription service to healthcare providers to put their medical professionals online and its proprietary software development kits, APIs, and system integrations enable clients to embed telehealth into existing workflows utilized by providers and patients.
Amwell has roughly 700 employees and has raised more than $500 million from investors, including Anthem, Philips, Allianz, and Teva Pharmaceuticals, with the goal of connecting patients to healthcare providers remotely.
Why choose Amwell as your best online doctor
Accepts most major insurance
No appointments necessary
No membership fees at all
Limitations of Amwell as your best online doctor
Doctors set visit prices in some cases
Uninsured or underinsured will pay more than some competitors
Doctor’s visits are relatively brief
PlushCare
According to PlushCare, from the beginning, their mission has remained unchanged: to help all people live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Plushcare was founded by Dr. James Wantuck and Ryan McQuaid started PlushCare Ryan had spent plenty of time waiting around for doctors, and James, as a doctor himself, knew how clogged the healthcare system was.
Ironically, the first PlushCare headquarters was in the back room of a doctor’s office in San Francisco. Dr. Wantuck saw patients via video, while Ryan manned the phones and booked appointments.
Why choose Plushcare as your best online doctor
Accepts many major insurance providers
30-day free trial is very useful for people accessing telemedicine for the first time
Veterans and active-duty military pay only $49 per visit
Membership is relatively low-cost
You can have appointments via either computer or smartphone
Limitations of Plushcare as your best online doctor
Appointment required
Monthly membership fees will add up to $180 per year and is kind of essential in order to make the most of the service
Roman
This company was founded in October 2017 by Zachariah Reitano, Saman Rahmanian, and Rob Schutz.[
The company has both a telemedicine practice and a pharmacy to distribute medications for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, premature ejaculation, cold sores, and genital herpes treatments.
Why choose Roman as your best online doctor
A confidential way for men to address certain sexual health concerns
Offers a free telehealth consultation with a certified physician
Doctors can prescribe medications for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, genital herpes, and other conditions
Prescription prices are reasonable with free two-day shipping
Unlimited follow-up consultations are offered if you’ve received medication
Limitations of Roman as your best online doctor
You cannot choose your doctor
Does not accept insurance
The telehealth service is offered as a means to conveniently dispense a limited range of medications
Treatment options for premature ejaculation and testosterone deficiency are limited to one product each (and are of uncertain benefit)
Should not be considered a substitute for in-person medical care with a urologist
BetterHelp
BetterHelp was founded by Alon Matas in 2013, after he faced personal challenges finding professional counseling services that accommodated his schedule. With the mission of helping all those facing similar challenges in gaining access to professional counseling, Matas partnered with co-founder Danny Bragonier to develop BetterHelp’s web-based counseling portal and therapist directory.
It is an online platform that provides direct-to-consumer access to mental health services. The online counseling and therapy services are provided through web-based interaction as well as phone and text communication.
In 2015 it was acquired by Teladoc, Inc. however, BetterHelp maintained its brand name post-acquisition and continues to provide online counseling services to consumers.
Why choose Betterhelp as your best online doctor
Allows you to search and select mental health professionals based on their credentials, specialties, and user reviews
Counseling can be conducted via video conferencing, live chat, messaging, or phone
The service is membership-based and costs $60 to $90 per week depending on your provider and/or the form of communication used
You can remain anonymous if you choose
Limitations of Betterhealth as an online doctor
Services are generally not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and most forms of insurance
It can sometimes take days before a provider confirms the initial appointment
Once you are paired with a counselor, their services are not unlimited and the availability of the counselor can vary
Costs can add up as the billing is made every four weeks by credit card or Paypal and will continue until you cancel your membership even if you don’t use the service
Online doctor service
The online doctor service differs considering the platform and your medical or health issue. When you walk into a hospital and request for consultation from a doctor the services a doctor will offer are the same as that of an online doctor service.
Among the best online doctor listed above with some having a particular specialty, that is how the online doctor service is.
Online doctor service can only be considered different from normal hospital visits because of the ease of rendering the service and the platform on which the service is rendered.
If you know what a doctor does in consultation and medical health assessment, that is exactly an online doctor service.
List of online doctor service
In this article on the best online doctor, are going to look at a few of the online doctor services which are listed below:
Consultation
Prescription
Medical assessment
Scheduling for laboratory test
Routine guidelines and others.
Free online doctor consultation
Free online doctor consultation is what most people desire although those platforms that offer free online doctor prescriptions have limits and what they can offer to patients.
Among the best online doctor list, there are companies that offer free online doctor consultation however, that are cons to such service.
Is essential you note that in most free online doctor consultations, there are usually late response times and questions are usually answered on public ground in a sense that the answer given is for everyone.
If you really want to get the best online doctor consultation, the paid ones are in most cases better than free online doctor consultations.
The best cardiologist in South Africa is worth knowing. A cardiologist specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and conditions that affect the cardiovascular system or the heart.
These specialists practice prevention and health care for patients with heart-related ailments and cardiovascular diseases.
The cardiologist carefully examines the patient’s medical history and focuses on blood pressure, weight, heart, lungs, and blood vessels, and can refer patients to a cardiovascular surgeon or a Cardiothoracic Surgeon if surgery is needed on the heart, blood vessels, and lungs.
Introduction to the best cardiologist in South Africa
Cardiologists treat many conditions affecting the cardiovascular system including hypertensive crisis, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat, either too fast or too slow,) myocardial infarction (heart attacks,) heart failure, congenital heart defects, and coronary artery disease.
A cardiologist also helps to inform and make decisions regarding procedures such as cardiac catheterization, balloon angioplasty, and open-heart surgery.
The Best cardiologist in South Africa uses different test skills and equipment to assess the cardiovascular system.
The test may include checking blood pressure, echocardiogram (ECG,) X-ray, cardiac stress tests, and blood tests.
Best cardiologist in South Africa
The list of the best cardiologist in South Africa on this platform is based on the write-up from reliable sources. The essence is to lead you to a cardiologist who might be a lifesaver. In this blog post, renowned cardiologists are listed in no specific order of ranking.
Let’s take a look at some of the top cardiologists in Johannesburg South Africa. Through some of the patient’s reviews, we are able to get our list of the top 5 cardiologists in South Africa.
Below is the list of the top 3 cardiologists in cape town;
Dr Chevaan Hendrickse
Dr. Joe Bodenstein
Dr. Jacques van Wyk
Best cardiologist in Pretoria
Below is the list of the top 3 cardiologists in Pretoria;
Dr. M Iturralde
Osrin L B
Benson J F
Cardiologist Salary in South Africa
The best cardiologist in South Africa is expected to earn more but it is not usually the case. A Cardiologist’s salary in South Africa is around 125,000 ZAR per month. Salaries range from 70,000 ZAR (lowest) to 180,000 ZAR (highest) monthly.
Cardiologist salaries vary drastically based on qualification, experience, skills, gender, location, and place of work. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on different criteria or factors.
Median Salary
The median represents the middle salary value of south African cardiologists. The median salary is 120,000 ZAR per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Cardiologists are earning less than 120,000 ZAR while the other half are earning more than 120,000 ZAR.
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Cardiologists are earning less than 83,600 ZAR while 75% of them are earning more than 83,600 ZAR.
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary.
Naturally, the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Physician – Cardiology salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A heart specialist with less than two years of experience makes approximately 74,100 ZAR monthly.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 99,500 ZAR monthly, 34% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 129,000 ZAR per month, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience does.
Although, if the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 171,000 ZAR per month, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 180,000 ZAR monthly, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
cardiologist salary in South Africa
The best cardiologist in South Africa is considered to be a high bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement of indirect revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
16% of surveyed staff reported that they have not received any incentives in the past year, while 84% said that they received at least one form of monetary incentive. Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 6% to 8% of their yearly stipend.
Cardiologist consultation fee south Africa
A cardiologist consultation fee in South Africa depends on many factors ranging from but not limited to the physician, location, and insurance coverage. The consultation fee for cardiologists in South Africa may range from $150 to $500.
Conclusion on the Best cardiologist in South Africa
The list of the best cardiologist in South Africa is in no other ranking, and every cardiologist on our list is qualified with the essential licenses.
It’s important to note that defining the best cardiologist in South Africa or any other country depends on various factors, including specialization, patient outcomes, peer reviews, research contributions, years of experience, and more as earlier stated.
There isn’t a single cardiologist who can be universally accepted as the best. What’s crucial is to find a cardiologist who’s best suited for a particular patient’s needs and conditions.
Moreover, South Africa has many renowned cardiologists who have made significant contributions to the field. Always consider credentials, patient reviews, and personal needs when determining the right specialist for you.
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