HEALTH
words by CONNIE WIRTA photography by SCOTT THUEN, THUEN STUDIOS
T RY AN E-VISIT
instead of a clinic appointment
Essentia Health offers E-Visits for 20 common health concerns, which means you can get care from the comfort of your home or office. Just log in to essentiahealth.org/onlinevisit from your smartphone, tablet or computer.
E-Visits
An electronic visit begins with you answering an online questionnaire about your symptoms and medical history. It takes about five to 10 minutes.
offer quick connection to expert care →
A smartphone alert tells physician assistant Jamie Zink that she has a patient awaiting an Essentia Health E-Visit. The new visits are available for 20 common health concerns and take five to 10 minutes for a patient to complete. Providers are available 24/7 and respond within an hour.
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hysician assistant Jamie Zink has a new way to meet patients. An alert on her smartphone tells her another patient is waiting for her via an Essentia Health E-Visit. Instead of walking into an exam room at the Essentia Health-West Fargo Clinic, Zink logs into a secure computer network. There, the experienced physician assistant reviews information that a patient has submitted by answering an online questionnaire. It asks much the same questions that Zink or a colleague would have asked as part of a clinic visit.
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“The E-Visit questionnaire asks a thorough set of questions that not only helps with a diagnosis, but also makes sure that an online appointment is both appropriate and safe for this patient,” explains Zink. “I have all the information I need to make a diagnosis and offer treatment.” Essentia E-visits are available for 20 common health concerns and take five to 10 minutes for a patient to complete. Within an hour, an Essentia Health physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner reviews the information and connects with the patient. People who are Essentia Health patients or Minnesota residents receive an email reply with a diagnosis, treatment plan and, if appropriate, a prescription. The email also includes advice on self-care measures and other information, such as a medicine’s potential side effects. North Dakota residents who aren’t Essentia Health patients have a video visit with the provider before the email is sent.
An Essentia Health physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner reviews the information and responds within an hour, anytime day or night. You receive an email with your diagnosis and care plan and, if appropriate, a prescription will be sent to your pharmacy. North Dakota residents who aren’t Essentia Health patients have a video visit with the provider before the email is sent. If you need to schedule a clinic appointment to address your condition, you won’t be charged for the E-Visit. E-Visits are available for adults, ages 18–64. An adult must start an E-Visit for patients who are age 17 or younger. An E-Visit costs $30. ESSENTIA E-VISITS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE CONDITIONS: ww Acne ww Burns (minor) ww Canker or cold sore ww Cold, sinus infection, or sore throat (upper respiratory infection) ww Constipation, diarrhea and/or irritable bowel syndrome ww Diaper rash ww Eczema or dermatitis ww Female bladder infection (UTI) ww Hay fever/allergies ww Influenza (the flu) ww Lice ww Lower back pain ww Pink eye (conjunctivitis) ww Shingles ww Stye (bump or bumps on the eyelid) ww Tick bite ww Tinea (fungal skin infection) ww Tobacco cessation ww Vaginal yeast infection