Virtual doctor appointment graphic. Anna Hart // Publicity Center
Content warning: This story discusses health and includes mentions of physical health conditions and mental health topics such as suicidal thoughts.
By Stella Harvey
Every quarter, Western students pay a Health Services Fee, which funds Western’s Student Health Center, Prevention and Wellness Services and the Counseling Center. While the fee remains fully funded after Western’s Board of Trustees reviewed all fees for possible reductions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Western’s health services have been forced to move online.
The Counseling Center moved its services online at the end of March to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Currently, counselors are conducting initial consultations over the phone, Anne Marie Theiler, interim director of the Western’s Counseling Center, said in an email.
At the Student Health Center, all in-person medical and mental health walk-in services are temporarily unavailable. However, most services are now offered virtually according to David Hansen, associate medical director of Western’s Student Health Center.
If a student needs further care than what can be provided virtually, a provider will arrange an in-person meeting to determine appropriate next steps, Hansen said in an email.
In a video interview between the AS Review, Western President Sabah Randhawa and Western Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Melynda Huskey, Huskey clarified the need to temporarily move Student Health Center services online.
“The respiratory clinic needed to be set up before we could open the doors to regular appointments again, because there was too much risk in mixing folks with respiratory symptoms, with folks that have other kinds of symptoms,” Huskey said.
The American College Health Association recommended colleges create separate locations to receive patients who are experiencing respiratory symptoms for the duration of the pandemic. The Student Health Center is still setting up this system, according to Huskey.
According to Western Today, Western opened a temporary respiratory clinic on April 28, in the Student Health Center Annex, which will be a separate facility to care for students experiencing respiratory issues as the university eventually transitions to more normal operations.
Just before the pandemic, the Health Center transitioned to a new electronic medical records system in January 2020, which allowed providers to smoothly transition to a virtual care model for spring quarter, Hansen said in an email.
During the online consultation, the counselor listens to the student’s concerns and discusses appropriate resources, which may include scheduling a virtual mental health session through Zoom.
“As we all are all mental health providers, we will ask some questions about severity and risk, such as whether or not a student is experiencing suicidal thoughts, so that we can provide whatever support is needed at that moment,” Theiler said in an email about the Counseling Center’s services.
Fourth-year biological anthropology student Bird Lindquist said she has been seeing her psychiatrist at Western’s Counseling Center since the COVID-19 pandemic forced services online. Lindquist said her Zoom appointment felt different than her usual in-person appointments.
“It definitely felt more removed. I don’t know if it was me, but it also did kind of feel rushed, and a little bit more impersonal,” Lindquist said.
Lindquist said while her Zoom appointment was by no means a negative experience, it was missing the comforting feeling of talking to someone about how you’re feeling.
“It just doesn’t feel like a real conversation. It feels like a script, even though there is no script,” Lindquist said. “You’re still having a conversation. It just feels more robotic or rehearsed.”
Hansen said while the biggest limitation of providing virtual care is not being able to perform a physical exam, virtual appointments are sufficient for a variety of conditions. Hansen said providers are able to manage conditions such as cold, flu, COVID-19 symptoms, urinary tract infections, sexual health concerns, headaches, bruises and sprains, seasonal allergies, pink eye, and rashes, and to provide information on birth control and emergency contraception. They can also conduct virtual follow-up appointments for chronic conditions and ailments.
If a patient’s needs cannot be met through a virtual appointment, Hansen said a provider will make arrangements for an in-person appointment at the Student Health Center, according to an email from Hansen.
At the Counseling Center, Theiler said students can usually schedule an initial phone consultation the same day they call to make an appointment. While there is not a limit on the number of appointments students can make, Western’s Counseling Center services are based on a short-term model, and generally deal with goals related to specific issues or concerns students want to address.
Hansen said the process of making a virtual appointment at the Student Health Center is similar to regular in-person scheduling. First, students call to schedule a virtual appointment at the Student Health Center. Then, once they have confirmed they have a video and mic-enabled device, students are instructed to log in to the patient portal on MyWesternHealth. Students are asked to complete their “Medical Clearances” paperwork online, and on the day of their appointment, make their way to a quiet, private space to start their virtual appointment. On the MyWesternHealth portal, students go to the “Appointments” tab and use the link to check-in for a telehealth appointment. Their confidential Zoom session with a provider will begin from there.
While the MyHealthWestern portal was available before the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual appointments are new. In the future, virtual appointments could be available, depending on how regulations change, Hansen said in an email.
“Many of the regulatory restrictions around telehealth have been lessened in an effort to maintain continuity of care for patients in healthcare settings,” Hansen said in an email. “This change in regulations allowed the Student Health Center and many other ambulatory care clinics in the state to switch from an in-person model to a telehealth model very quickly. It is unclear what the regulatory environment will be like after COVID-19.”
Hansen said there are some benefits to having virtual appointments, such as convenience for the patient. However, since the Student Health Center moved all services online, patient visits have been lower than normal. Normally, the Student Health Center manages about 150 patient visits per day, but now, they are only seeing 10-15% with virtual care.
Theiler said not all mental health issues can be appropriately addressed through virtual appointments. According to Theiler, students who are experiencing severe symptoms should seek assistance from a healthcare professional in their community. However, Theiler said in an email that students experiencing stress or anxiety may find virtual appointments helpful to maintaining their mental health.
“Some students may find that a supportive phone call is all they need for now, and will be assured they can contact us again if they need additional support,” Theiler said in an email.
Theiler said the Counseling Center has also added more outreach activities and workshops that have been adapted to an online format. Workshops include Wellness Wednesdays, Community Check-Ins, Let’s Talk and programs in collaboration with LGBTQ+ Western. Wellness Wednesdays are from 3-3:50 p.m. and rotate topics every week.
Theiler and Hansen said while their offices are still working through some minor technological difficulties, they are working hard to ensure students get the care they need.
“As time goes on with limited social contacts and on-going worry about the longer-term implications of the pandemic, we anticipate that more students will seek support,” Theiler said in an email. “We hope that students know the Counseling Center is here for them 24/7. Even when we are closed, students can call our mainline.”
For more information about Western’s Student Health Center and Counseling Center services, visit their website.