Telehealth Services
By Shelby Stein, Community Dietitian
The Fort Berthold Diabetes Program has telehealth services available for diabetes and nutrition education. Telehealth appointments provide you the comfort and safety to complete your diabetes or nutrition appointments from your home. Below we’ve answered some common questions about telehealth services and hope you’ll be encouraged to try it out!
Q. What is telehealth?
A. According to the Mayo Clinic, telehealth is the use of technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access healthcare services remotely and to manage your health care. Essentially, telehealth is like a Zoom call with your healthcare provider.
Q. Why should I schedule a telehealth appointment?
A. Telehealth is a great option to complete your diabetes care, nutrition education, and preventative healthcare appointments. Telehealth allows you to see your healthcare provider without leaving your home. Especially as we navigate this pandemic, telehealth services provide you with a very safe way to complete your appointments.
Q. What do I need to be able to have a telehealth appointment?
A. To have a telehealth appointment, you need a device, such as a smart phone or tablet with a built in camera or a computer with a built-in camera or a webcam. You need internet access on your device. If using a smart phone, you can complete your appointment using cellular data (which may incur extra charges for a video call) or Wi-Fi. While having video is preferred to ensure better communication, if you do not have a device with internet, a phone appointment can also be scheduled. Telehealth is flexible!
Q. What should I expect during my telehealth appointment?
A. After you schedule your telehealth appointment, you will be texted and emailed a link to join your appointment at your scheduled appointment time. When you click on that link, it will take you into a private and secure virtual meeting room (on a platform like Zoom or Cisco) with your healthcare provider. Then your appointment will proceed just like an in-person appointment. During your appointment, your healthcare provider may also share their screen with you to show you educational resources. Once your appointment is complete, your healthcare provider will email you any educational materials that you may need or these can be picked up at the Diabetes Program office building or mailed to you. The healthcare provider you meet with for your telehealth appointment will guide you through the entire process!
Q. What specific services does the Fort Berthold Diabetes Program offer as telehealth?
A. The Diabetes Program offers diabetes and nutrition education services via telehealth. The graphic below lists the Diabetes Program’s telehealth providers and explains which types of services they each offer.
Q. How do I schedule a telehealth appointment at the Diabetes Program?
A. To schedule a telehealth appointment, please call the Diabetes Program at 701-627-7931 and request a telehealth appointment. Then you will be called back shortly and scheduled for your appointment. Or, please visit our website at www.fortbertholddiabetes.com and click on the “Request Appointment” button. Then once you fill out the form, a staff member will contact you to schedule your telehealth appointment.
Please contact the Diabetes Program at 701-627-7931 with any questions about telehealth or to schedule an appointment. Stay safe and healthy!
