With vacation season in full swing, many people ask how they can prevent unforeseen illnesses from disrupting their travel plans. Zipnosis offers a suite of travel-related protocols that allows health systems to efficiently provide care to patients preparing for travel.
Throughout my time on the clinical content team, I have been fortunate to play a role in developing the asynchronous telehealth protocols that enable providers to do what they do best: provide care. Now, the same technology that enables providers to treat patients in 89 seconds is helping health systems across the country provide care for these travel-related concerns and conditions.
Traveler’s Diarrhea
The newest asynchronous telemedicine protocol added to our suite of travel-related offerings enables patients who are traveling to or have returned from a high-risk destination to receive treatment (if warranted), patient education, and follow-up care for traveler’s diarrhea. Traveler’s diarrhea is the most common illness in individuals traveling from resource-rich to resource-limited regions. Labs are not required for diagnosis, making it an excellent option for virtual care. Since launching this protocol in May 2022, we have been impressed with the adoption we have seen so far and look forward to seeing utilization increase further in the coming months.
Malaria Prevention
Millions of US residents travel to countries where malaria is present every year. Malaria can be a serious condition, so travelers need to take measures to prevent infection. The malaria prevention protocol captures information about travel plans and relevant medical history through an intelligent adaptive interview. Based on that information, providers can assess a traveler’s risk and prescribe antimalarial medication if appropriate. The number of visits completed for this protocol in 2022 has already surpassed the total number of completed visits in 2021, so it is apparent that patients are resuming travel and are leveraging this protocol to address their needs.
Motion Sickness Prevention
Motion sickness is another condition that lends itself to virtual care. Motion sickness is a common condition that can occur with any mode of travel, but there are ways to prevent it. The motion sickness prevention protocol consists of an intelligent adaptive interview that asks questions about relevant medical history as well as upcoming travel or activity that may cause motion sickness. Based on the reported information, providers can provide patient education, follow-up care recommendations, and prescribe medication when appropriate.
We’re Expanding our Suite of Asynchronous Telehealth Protocols
As COVID-19 social distancing measures and restrictions are lifting, many people are now ready to return to their travels and hobbies more than ever. With virtual care, we make it easy for patients to get care and prevent illness that can cause disruptions to long-awaited vacations.
These three protocols are part of a larger suite of protocols that enable providers to treat patients in as little as 89 seconds for 400+ unique diagnoses. To learn more about the benefits of asynchronous telemedicine, download our free comprehensive Guide to Asynchronous Care.
