To All AIO Patients,

As of April 27, 2020, the PA Department of Health gave permission to begin performing elective surgery and procedures within strict guidelines to ensure both patients and employees are following the proper measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We remain committed to our first priority of keeping our patients and employees safe. We are excited to announce we are now seeing elective and non-emergent cases including cataract surgery starting today, Monday, May 4, 2020!

We have implemented a number of safety measures in compliance with all of the guidelines and current recommendations from the PA Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as other agencies. Below is a list of all measures patients MUST adhere to upon entering our offices and surgery center:

  • ALL patients MUST wear a surgical mask or face cloth covering your nose and mouth at all times when in the building.
  • Access to the office is limited to PATIENTS ONLY. If you need assistance from an accompanying adult, please notify the front desk upon entry. Any adults providing assistance must also wear a surgical mask or face covering and will also be screened as mentioned below.
  • All patients will be screened at the front desk by having your temperature taken and completing our COVID-19 screening questionnaire. If you are experiencing any of the following, you will be asked to leave the office immediately and reschedule your visit:
    • Have you or your family members been exposed to someone who has tested positive or has a pending test result for the coronavirus, or COVID-19?
    • Fever ≥ 100.0 ⁰F
    • Sore throat
    • New loss of taste or smell
    • Chills or shaking chills
    • Cough or shortness of breath
    • Fatigue, muscle or body aches
    • Abdominal pain
    • Nausea/vomiting
    • Diarrhea
    • Headaches

We also want to assure you all of our employees will be screened daily when reporting to work based on the same criteria noted above. Employees are also being required to remain at home if they are feeling ill for any reason. We have instituted a number of other precautions to provide a safe environment in our offices and surgery center.

We are also happy to conduct your visit via a telehealth visit using video technology or phone if you do not have a camera equipped device. Please call our main number at 1-888-634-9800 to schedule a telehealth visit.

If you are having any change in your vision or have any eye care related questions or issues, we highly encourage you to call our office so we can work with you to provide the appropriate level of care. Our triage staff will discuss your symptoms and arrange for you to have a telehealth visit with a provider or schedule you for an office visit. Your safety and your vision are very important to us, so please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-634-9800. We are here for you during this challenging time.

Thank you and stay safe.
The Doctors and Staff at AIO

Telehealth Visits

Associates in Ophthalmology is excited to provide patients with the opportunity to a doctor via telehealth! Telehealth refers to the practice of caring for patients remotely when the provider and patient are not physically present with each other. Modern technology has enabled doctors to consult patients by using HIPAA-compliant video conferencing tools.

Simple and convenient to use
See your doctor from anywhere, just click their personalized room link to join them for a video call.

No downloads or accounts
No need to download software or create an account. Just use a browser on a computer or device with a camera and microphone.

Private and secure
All data is encrypted, your sessions are anonymous, and none of your information is stored. We adhere to HIPAA data privacy requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

We believe that it is important to let you know that not every situation is right for telehealth. Be assured that we will only schedule remote visits for the right kinds of cases. If during the visit, we feel that we cannot treat you adequately via video, an in-person visit will be arranged. Remote visits have proven to be equally as effective as in-person ones. In fact, telehealth actually improves outcomes by making it easier for people to comply with follow-up recommendations and aftercare.

Yes. We’ve carefully chosen a telehealth system that safeguards your personal information and meets the tough HIPAA regulations for data transmission and storage.

Yes

Most people prefer to have their visit at home or in a private office, but you can be in any location that you feel affords sufficient privacy and isn’t too noisy.

These appointments are typically covered by your regular health insurance. During the COVID-19 crisis, most insurance companies have agreed to waive any out of pocket payments associated with telehealth services. Please reach out to your insurance provider for any specific questions related to out of pocket expenses regarding these services.

Just contact our office exactly like you would for an in-person visit and let us know you’d like to schedule a telehealth visit. You can call our main number at 1-888-634-9800.

No, as a patient you actually don’t need to create an account with us to see your provider. You will receive an email from our partner, Otto Health, when your telehealth visit is scheduled. The email will contain a link to test your device prior to joining your visit. .

You will need an iPhone, iPad, or Android mobile device. You can also use a personal computer if it has a camera and a microphone.

Visit https://www.ottohealth.com/patient-resources to test your device prior to joining your visit.

The following steps should be done by you and your provider:

  1. Use headphones
  2. Reduce the volume of speakers
  3. Move the microphone away from the speakers

  1. Restart your computer: restart your computer before your first call.
  2. Wi-Fi: be close to your Wi-Fi router, make sure no other parties on the network are using up the bandwidth, and you don’t have a lot of browser windows open.
  3. CPU/GPU usage: ensure no high intensity programs are running on the computer

For more information, see the Telehealth Patient Quick Start Guide by clicking here.

Other Resources:
Review the COVID-19 Precautions We Have Taken by clicking here.
Visit the CDC website for Coronavirus (COVID-19) by clicking here.