Can’t Make it to Our Office? No Problem!

These are strange time for all of us. We hope you are keeping you and your family safe, staying home as much as possible, and doing your part to help “flatten the curve” for our health care professionals and our community.

That being said, the unfortunate truth is that foot and ankle problems don’t care whether there’s a pandemic or “stay-at-home” order going on. And you still deserve prompt attention and care! Many problems simply cannot wait indefinitely for a solution.

That’s why Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists are proud to offer telemedicine for patients who need help from a podiatrist, but not necessarily an in-person procedure. You can get the attention you need without leaving the safety of home!

Does Telemedicine Really Work?

Yes, it absolutely does!

Obviously, not all types of appointments can be conducted remotely. If you need a specific procedure or treatment—ingrown nail removal, laser therapy, injection, etc.—you will still need to come in.

However, telemedicine is a great option for many routine visits, follow-ups, and results appointments. Your doctor can easily examine your feet and ankles, discuss your symptoms and problems, review previous diagnostic or lab results, go over any home care options that might be effective, and give you great guidance and recommendations on what the “next steps” should be.

Bottom line, if your appointment doesn’t necessarily require an in-person procedure, there’s really no downside to conducting it remotely. You get all the same insight and care you need, without having to leave your house or expose yourself or others to unnecessary risk.

If you have any questions or concerns about whether your appointment can be handled effectively via telemedicine, please call us and ask. We are glad to help.

What You Will Need

The good news is that a successful telemedicine appointment doesn’t require any fancy equipment, specialized software, or complicated sets of instructions. You very likely already have everything that you will need:

  • A device capable of making and receiving video calls, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer with a webcam and microphone.
  • A web browser supported by our virtual waiting room (Chrome, Safari, or Firefox) on that device.
  • A stable, reliable internet connection.

Although it isn’t required, we also encourage you to have:

  • A private, quiet, and well-lit location to take the call.
  • A member of your household whom you trust to sit in to take notes, operate the camera, or support you in any way you might need.

What You Can Expect

Our telemedicine platform, Athena Telehealth, is just about the simplest telemedicine system around—which is a big reason why we picked it. It’s also highly secure, encrypted, and fully HIPAA-compliant.

Once we have your telemedicine appointment in our calendar, we’ll send you an email or text message with a link to our “virtual waiting room.” When it’s time for your appointment, all you need to do is:

  • Click the link found in your email or text message

If the web app asks you for permission to use a camera or microphone, make sure you grant it!

We’ll see that you’ve entered our virtual waiting room. When your doctor is ready, we’ll begin the appointment.

What About Procedures That Can’t Be Done Remotely?

While we encourage all patients to choose telemedicine whenever possible, our office is open during our regular hours, and Dr. Thomajan is available to see urgent medical and follow-up surgical appointments.

Examples of urgent problems that still require in-person treatments include pain, infection, ingrown nails, wound care, sports injuries, and diabetic foot problems. If you have an urgent need involving your feet or ankles, please call us first—we can help you, and it will be much better and safer for you to come here than to go to the emergency room.

We are taking every precaution to protect our patients and staff and minimize the risk of infection should you have to make a trip to our office. We’re strictly following all CDC guidelines, sanitizing everything regularly, enforcing social distancing to the greatest extent possible, using personal protective equipment, and much more.

Again, if you aren’t sure whether your foot problem can be handled via telemedicine or might require in-person care—or can even be temporarily delayed—please reach out and ask. Our job is to help you figure out what you need and be able to make these kinds of decisions wisely.

The Doctor Will See You Now

If you’re ready to request your telemedicine appointment with the Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists, please complete the form on this page.

A member of our office will follow up with you during our regular office hours to schedule your appointment, make sure you have everything you need, and answer any questions you may have.

If you’d prefer, you can also reach out to us directly by phone at (512) 328-8900.

We look forward to serving you—wherever you happen to be!

Schedule My Appointment Now