Do you really want to leave the couch when you’re not feeling well? Or bundle up a sick kid who is in his pajamas under the covers?

WellSpan has convenient non-emergent virtual care options, so you can avoid all of that.

Dr. Umar Razzaq is a physician at WellSpan Family Medicine in Greencastle and sees many of his patients through a virtual connection.

We asked him who could benefit most from a virtual visit.

Q: How can virtual visits help?

Virtual visits make it easy to get care quickly from any location with an internet connection using a computer, tablet or smartphone. It’s more convenient for a person who may have flu-type symptoms to stay home while getting the care they need. Nobody wants to leave the house when they feel sick.

This option also can be a great help to anyone who doesn’t have access to transportation.

Q: What is the difference between a virtual visit and virtual on-demand care?

Virtual visits can be scheduled with a WellSpan doctor during a physician's office hours of operation. Virtual on-demand care is available 24/7, allowing you to schedule an online video appointment with a board-certified doctor.

WellSpan primary care providers can see the notes from a virtual on-demand visit so they can stay up to date with their patients.

Q: What conditions, illnesses or injuries are appropriate for virtual visits?

A virtual visit can be most convenient and beneficial for someone experiencing high blood pressure, cold and flu symptoms, asthma, headaches or allergies. If a patient is prescribed a medication and needs to follow up with a provider, a virtual visit can be scheduled quickly.

If someone has an injury, it would be more appropriate to schedule an in-person appointment or visit your local urgent care.

Q: Why should a patient use a primary care or virtual visit rather than urgent care or emergency department visits for non-urgent needs? 

Patients can typically be seen much quicker by a provider when scheduling a virtual appointment rather than waiting for an in-person visit, especially at this time of year. I encourage anyone who needs help quickly, but non-urgently, to consider scheduling a virtual visit with their provider. It helps us help more patients as well.

Q: How can you schedule a virtual appointment?

Virtual visits can be scheduled by visiting wellspan.org or downloading the MyWellSpan app to log in to your MyWellSpan account. Patients can also call their provider’s office and request a virtual appointment. A virtual on-demand care visit can be scheduled here.