Tri-County Orthopedics Offering Safe, Online Orthopedic Care to Area Residents During COVID-19

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 while providing essential orthopedic care services, Tri-County Orthopedics is now offering telemedicine as an alternative approach to seeing their patients. This approach enables patients to safely visit with one of the practice’s specialty-trained providers from their work or home using video conference and telecommunications technology, such as a smartphone, tablet or computer. These virtual appointments will provide a lowered risk of viral exposure at the practice. Soon, Tri-County Orthopedics will expand this care measure to new patients, which will help reduce patient traffic in hospitals, emergency rooms and traditional urgent care facilities while those entities focus on fighting COVID-19 cases.

Many patients may be eligible for a telemedicine appointment with Tri-County Orthopedics. Currently, the practice is recommending this option for the following patients:

• You are an established patient. (Though, new patient telemedicine visits will be available soon.)
• You are scheduled for a routine follow-up for a chronic condition.
• You are scheduled for a routine post-operative follow-up, excluding first post-operative visits or visits requiring X-rays.
• You are 65 years of age or above or you have an underlying medical condition that puts you in a high-risk category.
• You are interested in doing a video visit in lieu of an office visit, either for follow-up or for a new condition.

“At Tri-County Orthopedics, we are dedicated to the health and well-being of our patients and staff above all else,” says Dr. Stephen Hunt, fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Tri-County Orthopedics. “As part of that dedication, we are continuing to provide specialized care to patients while offering a health-conscious solution through telemedicine during this unfortunate time of crisis.”

Through telemedicine, the practice’s specialty-trained experts will be able to diagnose over 80% of bone, joint and muscle injuries as well as provide follow-up appointments. This new, secure technology complies with federal health privacy laws and offers their patients accurate, high-quality orthopedic care without risk to themselves and others as well as the practice’s providers and staff. The only technical requirements for a patient are a smartphone, tablet or a computer with a working microphone or camera and internet connection.

“During these video visits, your doctor can discuss your problem, assess your recovery and even review advanced imaging like MRIs while you stay in the comfort of your own home or office,” says Dr. Hunt. “At the end of the visit, they will discuss a treatment plan as well as arrange for prescriptions, physical therapy and other tests — and all of these measures taken together will help minimize risk of any potential viral exposure to as many individuals as possible.”

For more information on telemedicine or to schedule an appointment with Tri-County Orthopedics, please call (973) 538-2334.