There are definitely times when you want to see a doctor in person. However, for your average wellness visit, or for an appointment that's mostly to confirm a small problem such as the flu, many doctors are beginning to schedule virtual visits with their patients. What are a few key advantages of this approach? Take a look.

You don't have to set aside as much time

If you were to have an in-person doctor's visit, you would not only need to set aside time for the visit itself, but also for the drive to and from the appointment. If your doctor's office is a half-hour away, this can easily eat up half your day! With a virtual visit, you only need to set aside the time for the actual appointment. Logging on only takes a few seconds. You should even be able to have the visit while you're at your workplace, allowing you to use your break or lunchtime rather than personal or sick time.

You don't have to be around sick people

Sick people go to the doctor, and a good number of sick people are contagious. So physically going to the doctor's office means you could potentially be exposed to some germs that make you ill. This is not something you need to contend with during a virtual visit. If you're contagious, you won't be exposing other patients to your germs, either.

You may pay less

Some doctors charge less for a virtual visit than for an in-person visit. Or, if you pay a co-pay through your insurance company, that co-pay might be lower for virtual visits than for in-person visits. Doctors who do a lot of virtual visits are able to maintain smaller offices. They don't need to do as much work to maintain waiting rooms, either. This helps keep their costs lower, and they can pass some of those savings on to you.

You may feel less anxious

Do you feel worried and anxious about visiting the doctor? You're not alone. Some people find that this nervousness is lessened when they schedule virtual visits rather than seeing the doctor in person. Long-term, virtual visits may make you more likely to stick to your appointment schedule and see a doctor as needed, in spite of anxiety.

Virtual visits can be a real asset, both to doctors and their patients. If you're thinking of scheduling a virtual visit, go for it! To learn more about virtual doctor visits, contact a local clinic.