June 9, 2025 • 19 mins
Telehealth has exploded in the past few years as an accessible option for healthcare access. There are pitfalls, however. We talk about the good, the bad and the what to look out for, especially when it comes to women.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha. Welcome to stuff. I
never told your protection have I heard you?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
And you know what, We've been talking a lot about
our medical needs. Uh, and boy did that hit us
like a ton of bricks. From last week. I feel
like we were like coming into a point where we understood, yes,
it's time to see a doctor, and it's like, yeah,
it's too late. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
We read a loud proclamation on Bridget when Bridget was
on the show We're.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Going to the doctor.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Then it was like, yes, you are right.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
So currently my arm is going tingling and numb as
I write all of this good news. Not only have
I gotten some medical attention, yes, but I'll be going
to get even more specific help like a specialist, I guess.
But it did make me wonder has the healthcare system
specifically changed? Has it gotten better? So my recent experience,
(01:06):
I actually did do a virtual appointment because it was
the fastest I could do, even though I'm in the
system for one of our major medical systems here there's
only like three because they're slowly all coming together and
converging into one anyway. But with that, and it was
in an interesting experience because again it's over the computer,
so you can't get a physical examination, and she's asking
(01:29):
a lot of questions. And I did get a doctor
that was like about an hour and thirty minutes away,
an hour maybe two hours from me, So it was
one of those like she is with the system, but
she may be very far away, which is kind of
why things like this work, because all the doctors close
to me were over booked or overscheduled. So it was interesting.
She did a great job. She was trying to help
(01:51):
me navigate the system because she was new to the
system as well, which is always interesting to tell. But
she was not new to being a doctor obviously, but
I was just like, oh my god, this is weird
because she's essentially as great she as she is. And
she was able to give me medication so I could
actually sleep through the night, which was part of the problem.
But like she was googling that's specialists for me, Like
(02:15):
I'm like, ma'am, And she was so sweet. She was
calling out to her like assistants and nurses and be
like call these people, all right, google these people. It
was an interesting thing because also I feel like she
may not have been very familiar with the virtual health
system or any that like being online on FaceTime or anything.
(02:39):
Maybe I'm wrong because they never muted me at any point,
not even when they first started the appointment. I could
hear them all bustling around to get to this call.
They never said anything mean. Yeah, like I didn't catch
any of that. But the funny part is like that
they would put me either they would turn the video
off without realizing I could still hear everything. And I
(03:01):
did have kind of a similar experience with when I
had COVID, but I was kind of delusional and had
a fever of one hundred and four at that point,
and I was like, I don't care, just give me
my TAXLOVID, which I think she felt the same way honestly.
But yeah, oh, with all of that, I think it's
interesting because in overall, with this type of care, and
(03:22):
we've talked a lot about with your friend Marissa, our
friend Marissa, who is in the nursing field in the hospitals,
and she has talked about her experiences and how close
to people that she's gotten even though she's never met
them personally. Is all been online, which is very again fascinating,
But with all of that, it has actually improved women's
health to a degree of course. So from doctor Caare
(03:45):
two four to seven dot com, it says telehealth is
enabling women to assert control over their health by offering
convenient access to health care services, broader access to specialists,
better management of chronic conditions, improved prenatal and postnatal care,
and invaluable mental health health support. By harnessing telehealth technologies,
women can prioritize their health and well being, paving the
(04:05):
way for healthier lives and enhanced overall quality of life.
So yes, they list off several of the better benefits
of this again, like managing chronic conditions and even enhanced
prenatal and post natal care. So about postnatal care and
prenatal care, it says telehealth plays a crucial role in
supporting women during pregnancy and postpartum, offering convenient access to
(04:29):
prenatal and post natal care services. Through telehealth platforms, pregnant
women can attend virtual prenatal visits, receive personalized guidance on
nutrition and exercise, and connect with blactation consultants and postpartum
support groups from home. This ensures that women receive comprehensive
care throughout their pregnancy journey. Leading to healthier outcomes for
both mother and baby. So again, we kind of talked
(04:51):
about this already in our post natal prenatal care postpartum
care for women in general or for people who can
get pregnant. This one talks about all of the benefits,
but we did talk about the fact that it also
kind of can isolate women. They felt like this experience
took away a little bit of what they were their expectations, right, right,
(05:12):
And I will say, for the longest time, we've been
using virtual counseling services, which again does feel more accessible.
I did feel way more comfortable because I am a
pro when it comes to being on the counseling and
like patient I've been taking. Oh god, it's been twenty
five years of therapy. Yeah, hey, sometimes you know you
(05:36):
got to do it. But the difference between going in
weekly finding a care provider that I had to travel
twenty to thirty minutes away and that's without traffic, versus
being able to sit on my couch have my dog
next to me while I'm talking to someone. It's actually amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Right, Yeah, it's really nice. And for people who for
whatever reason can't dry I don't want to drive it's
really nice, and it's usually like you can find an
Internet connection somewhere. But I do think that it's also
(06:12):
one of those things where I do see instances where
it would be better to see someone in person, and
then other instances where it's better to for some people
preferable to do it virtually.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Right like today, I'm gonna have to go in to
see a specialist that are going to probably have to
take X rays and like at least feel things, which
makes me uncomfortable anyway, but I know that's the better
way because essentially my camera vider was like, I can't
really do too much, and from what I understand, I
don't know if it's just the state of Georgia or
federally that they can't prescribe strong control substances. Not that
(06:45):
that's what I wanted, that's not necessarily, but you know,
like stuff like that that is really in need. Had
my current medications, which included I be profn and I'm like, yeah,
I've been taking that. Has that not been working, I
would have been in trouble, Like it would have been
a whole other conversation. And again in that same article,
it does talk about the overall empowering for women. They
say it empowers women in several critical ways, overcoming financial hurdles.
(07:09):
Telehealth often proves to be more cost effective than traditional
in person appointments due to reduced over expenses and potentially
lower fees. This affordability factor makes high quality healthcare more
attainable for women with limited financial means, ensuring equitable access
to essential health services. So I did see that there
are a lot of research papers. Of course this is
a mini so we're not doing the whole big thing,
(07:32):
but there are several research papers talking about how it
is cost efficient and does help people who may not
be insured be able to get care because we know
visits to urgent care emergency rooms that's really costly, right, Yeah,
And then it goes on to saying it also empowers
rural communities by linking women in remote or underserved areas
(07:55):
with specialized healthcare professionals. Telehealth bridges the geographical gap in
healthcare access, ensuring that everyone, regardless of location, has equal
opportunities to thrive. And again this is where we talked
to a friend of the show, Marissa, and she was
talking about specialists that were out of Texas and they
were able to practice in Georgia because of telehealth advancements.
I know for my family, they were able to get
(08:18):
care from my parents through emergency services that weren't necessarily
we have to wait till the doctor comes in and
you know, two days from now or any of that.
They were able to access and find somebody that could
read specific charts. Of course, it's not always the case
because you're not an emergency, they still might wait, but
it does have access to more specialists than if you
(08:38):
could had to be in like Gilmore County, Georgia, where
they're just an emergency room and you have to be
sent somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Anyway, Yeah, it's a real real mess that whole like
getting to the hospital when you're in rural areas.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Sometimes when I was young and had broken my leg
three places below the knee, I was in so much pain.
They just bubbled it up and told them that I
had to go forty five minutes away.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah, that was crying in the back of the car,
which is not great if you're having a real emergence.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
They literally put down the backseat, put a pillow in,
and then like like took like a hole gurney. It
just pushed me in the back of the blazers on
my hands zoned. Oh school memories. Oh that's why I
don't go skating roller skating anyway. But of course there
are downfalls and according to a published article in the
National Library of Medicine, they say, quote, despite its advantages,
(09:31):
the implementation of telemedicine is fraught with challenges. Data security,
patient privacy, and regulatory compliance are paramount concerns to ensure
telemedicine services sustainability. And additionally, the variability in telemedicine practices
and senators across different regions pose a challenge for widespread adoption.
There is a pressing need to standardize guidelines and best
practices to optimize telemedicine delivery and ensure high quality care. Again,
(09:55):
this is more of like the professional aspect of like
they see the downfalls of these and this could be
a problem. And I could see that because even in
the hospitals in the same state, if they're in different systems,
they don't share information, which makes sense to a certain degree,
but also makes it really inefficient in other ways, because
(10:16):
of guidelines, because of standards, practices, because of privacy settings,
Like in itself is a whole thing. Not every system
uses the same system, not every hospital uses the same tests,
or they use whatever they're being sponsored by and whoever
sells them the best deals. So that does cause a
lot of problems in itself. Again, the privacy data, that's
(10:38):
a huge concern. If everything is online, you get hacked,
people are watching. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Well, I have to say I did recently go to
the emergency room and it was chaos, but in a
you know, they kept telling me. Everyone kept telling me,
which by the way, I must have met like fifteen
people and they all told me like we have a
new system.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
And I was like, oh boy, it.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Was fine and it worked out, but I was really
out of it, and I can't remember if I told anybody.
But when I got home, I had all these text
messages from them. I had all these emails from them,
and I'm like, where when did I give you my phone?
Was it?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Oh? I mean I might have had to. You had
to have because when you signed the floor at the beginning,
they usually have all that. There were no forms.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
It was very fast.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It it had like specific concerns or like yeah, get
her back here now. So yeah, I could see that
and yeah, there's that so much too. My stuff is
already in that system, and some of it is wrong.
So you knew what I don't know. Again, Like when
it comes to the medical professionals, they see a lot
of barriers. As we talked about the policies, restrictions and
guidelines and communications, the requirements for certain people versus other people.
(12:08):
E prescriptions apparently a thing. All these things are very
very concerning, But it is interesting that there's also been
a lot of focus on using technology and telehealth for
specific women's issues like menopause and perimenopause. I've seen several
things that jump out at me. It may just be
my algorithm though. From an article's title Telemedicine and Women's Health,
they say specific to women are femtech diagnostic tools, products
(12:33):
and service, wearables, and software that use technology to address
women's health issues including minstrel health, reproductive health, sexual health,
maternal health, and menopause. Several femtech startups are specifically focused
on menopause. These groups aim to deliver perimenopause and menopause
consultations provide better communications between motivated menopause doctors and patients
(12:54):
share evidence based menopause information via their websites, webinars, and
social media channels. Work medicare for rebase for telehealth services,
increase themIn apulse awareness, educate and empower women and train
healthcare professionals. Now, there are several conversations that we've had
about what's called fintech, which we really haven't like dug
deep into that specific term, but we have talked about
(13:17):
being wary of that and how great it could be.
But because of the overall concerns of privacy data all
of that, we are not wanted to be like, yes,
you should use this.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Yeah. We get a lot of what we call cold
call emails from companies like this, and there are some
of them where I'm like, yeah, this sounds great, but
we just can't recommend anything.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Like that, right. And that's so sad to me because
there's so many great ideas that have been corrupted by
overall capitalism and or fascism. I couldn't say like that,
I guess, but it really on it, but that you
really don't want to use that.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
And again it also kind of comes into like, is
this like the pink tax thing? Is this like they're
using this to profit off of something that we are
suffering from instead of actually helping us. So there's a
lot of questions to this. And from another article openloophealth
dot Com, they write, telemedicine is uniquely suited for menopause
services like hormone replacement therapy. Given the nature of care,
(14:24):
something as inconvenient as a video or a telephone visit
has been proven to be effective. Authors of once they
reported high levels of patient satisfaction, noting that patients even
preferred this modality. So I really understand this again when
it comes to like they talked about sexual health for women,
they talk about hair loss for women, they talk about perimenopause, menopause,
and how this is way more convenient than coming in
(14:46):
and having to like deal with all of the procedures
just to talk about I need help with HRT, I
need these things. These are things I'm concerned by. But again,
it really is not effective when it comes to like
having to do tests, having to run your cholestero all,
having to run your blood work. So it doesn't always work,
but overall, try to get a consultation, which is I
(15:06):
feel like the initial step, which is what my virtual
telehealth was, was like I just need to get in here
to tell me what I need to do for today
and then who I need to go see essentially, and
if you can give me a referral.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, And sometimes that's that's all you need. And sometimes
that's why it's great to I try not to use
this too often, but have a friend like Marissa Nursing.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I used to once I'm waiting, I'm holding in my card.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
I'm trying to hold it too, because you don't want
to be that person. But it is nice because one
time she told me, like, just skip all of that
and go to your ian and whatever that one and
I was through, yeah, and it was nice because I
was like, Okay, thank you.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
But again, a lot of systems, you have to have
a referral process. You can't go to a specialism unless
you go through the primary and they tell you who
to go to and they set up those appointments for you.
Like there's so many things. Because even with my Mamograham,
I went and got my physical with my gout in
college and she's like, I scheduled your appointment, like they
did it for me, and they got me in very quickly,
as opposed to like if I did it and it's
(16:08):
six months out, which is part of the problem as well. Yeah,
so there you go kind of a yes kind of
answer to has it improved, but also be wary conversations.
And again this also talks about the fact that people
who are lacking technology at home, whether they're able to
(16:29):
access whether they have a computer. You know, usually people
have phones, but you know, that can be a whole
other problem. Holding For me this week when I did
the virtual meeting, being at a laptop was painful, but
being in a car was also painful, and holding up
a phone would have been even more painful. So there's
so many like yes, but.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Yeah, I'm glad it exists as an option, and I
think we should be educated about it and the risk
about it. But I do like that it is an option.
Like during COVID, I remember you would just go on
and they would try to be like, yes, it's COVID,
No it's not COVID. Like it was so fast they're like, okay, cool,
(17:09):
So I shouldn't come in.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Right, like these are the symptoms. Don't come in right, yes,
and we have no medicine for you. Take this instead.
It was a long time coming, like three years, and
even after that, it's like still not great, it does
cut it down, but it doesn't necessarily stop it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Yeah, but yeah, that was that was a wild time.
And now now I was looking at my own follow
up appointment, and now that it'll say like whether the
doctor takes virtual appointments or whether they don't, which I
thought was interesting.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
So yeah, like I said, there's a big divide when
it comes to the professional's opinions on this.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yes, which is fair. I mean that I can see
why you would be like, I actually want to see
the person in person, because sometimes you can really pick
up on things when you see someone in person. But anyway,
we're both going to the doctor wanting to doctors people.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
It's happening our bodies.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Finally, we're like, yep.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
If you don't, you're gonna regret it. Got it.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
So listeners, please let us know if you have any
thoughts about this. I know some of you have written
in about your experiences in the healthcare industry, so yeah,
just write to us and let us know. You can
email us at Hello at Stuff onever told You dot com.
You can find us on blue Sky at Moms Stuff podcast,
or on Instagram and TikTok at Stuff Never told You
We're also on YouTube. We have a tea public store,
(18:40):
and we have a book you can get wherever you
get your books. Thanks as always to our super producer
Christina or executive producer My and your contributor Joey. Thank
you and thanks to you for listening stuff Will Never
Told You production of I Heart Radio More podcast on
my Heart Radio. You can check out the heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha. Welcome to stuff. I
never told your protection have I heard you?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
And you know what, We've been talking a lot about
our medical needs. Uh, and boy did that hit us
like a ton of bricks. From last week. I feel
like we were like coming into a point where we understood, yes,
it's time to see a doctor, and it's like, yeah,
it's too late. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
We read a loud proclamation on Bridget when Bridget was
on the show We're.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Going to the doctor.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Then it was like, yes, you are right.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
So currently my arm is going tingling and numb as
I write all of this good news. Not only have
I gotten some medical attention, yes, but I'll be going
to get even more specific help like a specialist, I guess.
But it did make me wonder has the healthcare system
specifically changed? Has it gotten better? So my recent experience,
(01:06):
I actually did do a virtual appointment because it was
the fastest I could do, even though I'm in the
system for one of our major medical systems here there's
only like three because they're slowly all coming together and
converging into one anyway. But with that, and it was
in an interesting experience because again it's over the computer,
so you can't get a physical examination, and she's asking
(01:29):
a lot of questions. And I did get a doctor
that was like about an hour and thirty minutes away,
an hour maybe two hours from me, So it was
one of those like she is with the system, but
she may be very far away, which is kind of
why things like this work, because all the doctors close
to me were over booked or overscheduled. So it was interesting.
She did a great job. She was trying to help
(01:51):
me navigate the system because she was new to the
system as well, which is always interesting to tell. But
she was not new to being a doctor obviously, but
I was just like, oh my god, this is weird
because she's essentially as great she as she is. And
she was able to give me medication so I could
actually sleep through the night, which was part of the problem.
But like she was googling that's specialists for me, Like
(02:15):
I'm like, ma'am, And she was so sweet. She was
calling out to her like assistants and nurses and be
like call these people, all right, google these people. It
was an interesting thing because also I feel like she
may not have been very familiar with the virtual health
system or any that like being online on FaceTime or anything.
(02:39):
Maybe I'm wrong because they never muted me at any point,
not even when they first started the appointment. I could
hear them all bustling around to get to this call.
They never said anything mean. Yeah, like I didn't catch
any of that. But the funny part is like that
they would put me either they would turn the video
off without realizing I could still hear everything. And I
(03:01):
did have kind of a similar experience with when I
had COVID, but I was kind of delusional and had
a fever of one hundred and four at that point,
and I was like, I don't care, just give me
my TAXLOVID, which I think she felt the same way honestly.
But yeah, oh, with all of that, I think it's
interesting because in overall, with this type of care, and
(03:22):
we've talked a lot about with your friend Marissa, our
friend Marissa, who is in the nursing field in the hospitals,
and she has talked about her experiences and how close
to people that she's gotten even though she's never met
them personally. Is all been online, which is very again fascinating,
But with all of that, it has actually improved women's
health to a degree of course. So from doctor Caare
(03:45):
two four to seven dot com, it says telehealth is
enabling women to assert control over their health by offering
convenient access to health care services, broader access to specialists,
better management of chronic conditions, improved prenatal and postnatal care,
and invaluable mental health health support. By harnessing telehealth technologies,
women can prioritize their health and well being, paving the
(04:05):
way for healthier lives and enhanced overall quality of life.
So yes, they list off several of the better benefits
of this again, like managing chronic conditions and even enhanced
prenatal and post natal care. So about postnatal care and
prenatal care, it says telehealth plays a crucial role in
supporting women during pregnancy and postpartum, offering convenient access to
(04:29):
prenatal and post natal care services. Through telehealth platforms, pregnant
women can attend virtual prenatal visits, receive personalized guidance on
nutrition and exercise, and connect with blactation consultants and postpartum
support groups from home. This ensures that women receive comprehensive
care throughout their pregnancy journey. Leading to healthier outcomes for
both mother and baby. So again, we kind of talked
(04:51):
about this already in our post natal prenatal care postpartum
care for women in general or for people who can
get pregnant. This one talks about all of the benefits,
but we did talk about the fact that it also
kind of can isolate women. They felt like this experience
took away a little bit of what they were their expectations, right, right,
(05:12):
And I will say, for the longest time, we've been
using virtual counseling services, which again does feel more accessible.
I did feel way more comfortable because I am a
pro when it comes to being on the counseling and
like patient I've been taking. Oh god, it's been twenty
five years of therapy. Yeah, hey, sometimes you know you
(05:36):
got to do it. But the difference between going in
weekly finding a care provider that I had to travel
twenty to thirty minutes away and that's without traffic, versus
being able to sit on my couch have my dog
next to me while I'm talking to someone. It's actually amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Right, Yeah, it's really nice. And for people who for
whatever reason can't dry I don't want to drive it's
really nice, and it's usually like you can find an
Internet connection somewhere. But I do think that it's also
(06:12):
one of those things where I do see instances where
it would be better to see someone in person, and
then other instances where it's better to for some people
preferable to do it virtually.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Right like today, I'm gonna have to go in to
see a specialist that are going to probably have to
take X rays and like at least feel things, which
makes me uncomfortable anyway, but I know that's the better
way because essentially my camera vider was like, I can't
really do too much, and from what I understand, I
don't know if it's just the state of Georgia or
federally that they can't prescribe strong control substances. Not that
(06:45):
that's what I wanted, that's not necessarily, but you know,
like stuff like that that is really in need. Had
my current medications, which included I be profn and I'm like, yeah,
I've been taking that. Has that not been working, I
would have been in trouble, Like it would have been
a whole other conversation. And again in that same article,
it does talk about the overall empowering for women. They
say it empowers women in several critical ways, overcoming financial hurdles.
(07:09):
Telehealth often proves to be more cost effective than traditional
in person appointments due to reduced over expenses and potentially
lower fees. This affordability factor makes high quality healthcare more
attainable for women with limited financial means, ensuring equitable access
to essential health services. So I did see that there
are a lot of research papers. Of course this is
a mini so we're not doing the whole big thing,
(07:32):
but there are several research papers talking about how it
is cost efficient and does help people who may not
be insured be able to get care because we know
visits to urgent care emergency rooms that's really costly, right, Yeah,
And then it goes on to saying it also empowers
rural communities by linking women in remote or underserved areas
(07:55):
with specialized healthcare professionals. Telehealth bridges the geographical gap in
healthcare access, ensuring that everyone, regardless of location, has equal
opportunities to thrive. And again this is where we talked
to a friend of the show, Marissa, and she was
talking about specialists that were out of Texas and they
were able to practice in Georgia because of telehealth advancements.
I know for my family, they were able to get
(08:18):
care from my parents through emergency services that weren't necessarily
we have to wait till the doctor comes in and
you know, two days from now or any of that.
They were able to access and find somebody that could
read specific charts. Of course, it's not always the case
because you're not an emergency, they still might wait, but
it does have access to more specialists than if you
(08:38):
could had to be in like Gilmore County, Georgia, where
they're just an emergency room and you have to be
sent somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Anyway, Yeah, it's a real real mess that whole like
getting to the hospital when you're in rural areas.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Sometimes when I was young and had broken my leg
three places below the knee, I was in so much pain.
They just bubbled it up and told them that I
had to go forty five minutes away.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah, that was crying in the back of the car,
which is not great if you're having a real emergence.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
They literally put down the backseat, put a pillow in,
and then like like took like a hole gurney. It
just pushed me in the back of the blazers on
my hands zoned. Oh school memories. Oh that's why I
don't go skating roller skating anyway. But of course there
are downfalls and according to a published article in the
National Library of Medicine, they say, quote, despite its advantages,
(09:31):
the implementation of telemedicine is fraught with challenges. Data security,
patient privacy, and regulatory compliance are paramount concerns to ensure
telemedicine services sustainability. And additionally, the variability in telemedicine practices
and senators across different regions pose a challenge for widespread adoption.
There is a pressing need to standardize guidelines and best
practices to optimize telemedicine delivery and ensure high quality care. Again,
(09:55):
this is more of like the professional aspect of like
they see the downfalls of these and this could be
a problem. And I could see that because even in
the hospitals in the same state, if they're in different systems,
they don't share information, which makes sense to a certain degree,
but also makes it really inefficient in other ways, because
(10:16):
of guidelines, because of standards, practices, because of privacy settings,
Like in itself is a whole thing. Not every system
uses the same system, not every hospital uses the same tests,
or they use whatever they're being sponsored by and whoever
sells them the best deals. So that does cause a
lot of problems in itself. Again, the privacy data, that's
(10:38):
a huge concern. If everything is online, you get hacked,
people are watching. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Well, I have to say I did recently go to
the emergency room and it was chaos, but in a
you know, they kept telling me. Everyone kept telling me,
which by the way, I must have met like fifteen
people and they all told me like we have a
new system.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
And I was like, oh boy, it.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Was fine and it worked out, but I was really
out of it, and I can't remember if I told anybody.
But when I got home, I had all these text
messages from them. I had all these emails from them,
and I'm like, where when did I give you my phone?
Was it?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Oh? I mean I might have had to. You had
to have because when you signed the floor at the beginning,
they usually have all that. There were no forms.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
It was very fast.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It it had like specific concerns or like yeah, get
her back here now. So yeah, I could see that
and yeah, there's that so much too. My stuff is
already in that system, and some of it is wrong.
So you knew what I don't know. Again, Like when
it comes to the medical professionals, they see a lot
of barriers. As we talked about the policies, restrictions and
guidelines and communications, the requirements for certain people versus other people.
(12:08):
E prescriptions apparently a thing. All these things are very
very concerning, But it is interesting that there's also been
a lot of focus on using technology and telehealth for
specific women's issues like menopause and perimenopause. I've seen several
things that jump out at me. It may just be
my algorithm though. From an article's title Telemedicine and Women's Health,
they say specific to women are femtech diagnostic tools, products
(12:33):
and service, wearables, and software that use technology to address
women's health issues including minstrel health, reproductive health, sexual health,
maternal health, and menopause. Several femtech startups are specifically focused
on menopause. These groups aim to deliver perimenopause and menopause
consultations provide better communications between motivated menopause doctors and patients
(12:54):
share evidence based menopause information via their websites, webinars, and
social media channels. Work medicare for rebase for telehealth services,
increase themIn apulse awareness, educate and empower women and train
healthcare professionals. Now, there are several conversations that we've had
about what's called fintech, which we really haven't like dug
deep into that specific term, but we have talked about
(13:17):
being wary of that and how great it could be.
But because of the overall concerns of privacy data all
of that, we are not wanted to be like, yes,
you should use this.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Yeah. We get a lot of what we call cold
call emails from companies like this, and there are some
of them where I'm like, yeah, this sounds great, but
we just can't recommend anything.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Like that, right. And that's so sad to me because
there's so many great ideas that have been corrupted by
overall capitalism and or fascism. I couldn't say like that,
I guess, but it really on it, but that you
really don't want to use that.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
And again it also kind of comes into like, is
this like the pink tax thing? Is this like they're
using this to profit off of something that we are
suffering from instead of actually helping us. So there's a
lot of questions to this. And from another article openloophealth
dot Com, they write, telemedicine is uniquely suited for menopause
services like hormone replacement therapy. Given the nature of care,
(14:24):
something as inconvenient as a video or a telephone visit
has been proven to be effective. Authors of once they
reported high levels of patient satisfaction, noting that patients even
preferred this modality. So I really understand this again when
it comes to like they talked about sexual health for women,
they talk about hair loss for women, they talk about perimenopause, menopause,
and how this is way more convenient than coming in
(14:46):
and having to like deal with all of the procedures
just to talk about I need help with HRT, I
need these things. These are things I'm concerned by. But again,
it really is not effective when it comes to like
having to do tests, having to run your cholestero all,
having to run your blood work. So it doesn't always work,
but overall, try to get a consultation, which is I
(15:06):
feel like the initial step, which is what my virtual
telehealth was, was like I just need to get in here
to tell me what I need to do for today
and then who I need to go see essentially, and
if you can give me a referral.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, And sometimes that's that's all you need. And sometimes
that's why it's great to I try not to use
this too often, but have a friend like Marissa Nursing.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I used to once I'm waiting, I'm holding in my card.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
I'm trying to hold it too, because you don't want
to be that person. But it is nice because one
time she told me, like, just skip all of that
and go to your ian and whatever that one and
I was through, yeah, and it was nice because I
was like, Okay, thank you.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
But again, a lot of systems, you have to have
a referral process. You can't go to a specialism unless
you go through the primary and they tell you who
to go to and they set up those appointments for you.
Like there's so many things. Because even with my Mamograham,
I went and got my physical with my gout in
college and she's like, I scheduled your appointment, like they
did it for me, and they got me in very quickly,
as opposed to like if I did it and it's
(16:08):
six months out, which is part of the problem as well. Yeah,
so there you go kind of a yes kind of
answer to has it improved, but also be wary conversations.
And again this also talks about the fact that people
who are lacking technology at home, whether they're able to
(16:29):
access whether they have a computer. You know, usually people
have phones, but you know, that can be a whole
other problem. Holding For me this week when I did
the virtual meeting, being at a laptop was painful, but
being in a car was also painful, and holding up
a phone would have been even more painful. So there's
so many like yes, but.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Yeah, I'm glad it exists as an option, and I
think we should be educated about it and the risk
about it. But I do like that it is an option.
Like during COVID, I remember you would just go on
and they would try to be like, yes, it's COVID,
No it's not COVID. Like it was so fast they're like, okay, cool,
(17:09):
So I shouldn't come in.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Right, like these are the symptoms. Don't come in right, yes,
and we have no medicine for you. Take this instead.
It was a long time coming, like three years, and
even after that, it's like still not great, it does
cut it down, but it doesn't necessarily stop it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Yeah, but yeah, that was that was a wild time.
And now now I was looking at my own follow
up appointment, and now that it'll say like whether the
doctor takes virtual appointments or whether they don't, which I
thought was interesting.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
So yeah, like I said, there's a big divide when
it comes to the professional's opinions on this.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yes, which is fair. I mean that I can see
why you would be like, I actually want to see
the person in person, because sometimes you can really pick
up on things when you see someone in person. But anyway,
we're both going to the doctor wanting to doctors people.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
It's happening our bodies.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Finally, we're like, yep.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
If you don't, you're gonna regret it. Got it.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
So listeners, please let us know if you have any
thoughts about this. I know some of you have written
in about your experiences in the healthcare industry, so yeah,
just write to us and let us know. You can
email us at Hello at Stuff onever told You dot com.
You can find us on blue Sky at Moms Stuff podcast,
or on Instagram and TikTok at Stuff Never told You
We're also on YouTube. We have a tea public store,
(18:40):
and we have a book you can get wherever you
get your books. Thanks as always to our super producer
Christina or executive producer My and your contributor Joey. Thank
you and thanks to you for listening stuff Will Never
Told You production of I Heart Radio More podcast on
my Heart Radio. You can check out the heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Stuff Mom Never Told You News
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Anney Reese
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