Telehealth or your own doctor: which should you use?
Online services are faster and less awkward. An in-person clinician can order blood work and notice what a questionnaire can't. The right answer depends on why you have ED.
Written by The ED Watch Editorial Board
Medically reviewed by A. Vance, MD
Published
Last reviewed
Telehealth has done something genuinely valuable in this category: it removed the embarrassment barrier that kept a lot of people from ever raising the subject. That is a real public health gain, and it deserves credit.
It has also created a model where a questionnaire produces a prescription in minutes, with no blood work, no physical exam, and no one looking at the larger picture. For a lot of cases that is perfectly adequate. For some it isn't.
Where each option is stronger
| Online telehealth | In-person clinician | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Same day, typically | Days to weeks for an appointment |
| Awkwardness | Minimal | Higher for many people |
| Blood work | Not usually included | Straightforward to order |
| Physical exam | No | Yes |
| Cardiovascular workup | Not the model | This is the point |
| Cost of the visit | Low flat fee, or bundled | Copay, or free if already scheduled |
| Continuity of care | Limited | Strong if you have an established clinician |
When telehealth is a reasonable first stop
- You're generally healthy, with recent normal blood pressure and blood work
- You take no nitrates and no medications with major interactions
- The ED is mild or situational
- You've already discussed it with a clinician and just need convenient refills
When to see someone in person
The reason isn't that telehealth is unsafe. It's that in these situations the ED is likely telling you something, and a questionnaire is not designed to hear it. See erectile dysfunction is a cardiovascular warning sign.
You can use both
A pragmatic approach that works well: get evaluated properly once — blood pressure, lipids, glucose, testosterone if desire has changed — and then use whichever service is cheapest and most convenient for ongoing supply. You get the workup and the convenience, and you avoid paying a subscription premium indefinitely.
Whichever route you take, make sure the medication ends up on the list your regular clinician sees.
Sources
- 1.Erectile Dysfunction: AUA Guideline — American Urological Association