Dear Doctor: Tania Elliott
The allergist and leader in digital health on ways technology has elevated medicine.
Dr. Tania Elliott is a leader in telemedicine, early on discovering the impact technology can have on improving overall outcomes for patients and doctors. As an allergist, it was clear from the start that utilizing video, texting, and calling could help her diagnose patients more quickly by seeing their reactions in real-time. Over time, she started to recognize the benefits of virtual care for conditions well beyond allergies, including preventive health and wellbeing. Read on to learn more about her role in the evolution of telemedicine, what exciting research is being done on the topic, and what health hacks she loves for staying healthy, fit, and informed.
“I was always a science nerd growing up. I loved doing experiments and participating in science fairs. When I was in high school, I started getting into public speaking. That was when I realized I had the ability to explain complex scientific concepts in a way that people could easily understand. I wanted to translate that skill into caring for patients who might be overwhelmed by a new medical diagnosis, and into the public arena by providing people with useful health information that could be incorporated into their everyday lives.”
Finding Allergy and Immunology
I’m board certified in internal medicine and in allergy and immunology. I love primary care, but what stood out to me in allergy is that many people do not consider allergies to be a real medical condition — they often think they just need to suffer through allergy season. It is really rewarding to help patients become symptom free and improve their quality of life in a way they didn’t think was possible. As an allergist, I also see a lot of complicated cases such as out of the blue skin reactions, adult onset food allergies and intolerances, and immune system problems. I love working with patients to get to the bottom of what may be causing their condition.
Discovering Telemedicine
Allergy and telemedicine really go hand in hand for a few reasons. First, identifying an allergy is all about knowing your environmental triggers. With a telemedicine visit, patients can give me a virtual walk-through of their home, and I can help them pinpoint what may be causing their symptoms. Second, allergic reactions can be transient. Technology can enable patients to send me a photo of an image or connect with me in real-time to make an accurate diagnosis. Lastly, remote monitoring — especially for asthma — can provide physicians with additional data points to better understand their symptom, inhaler usage, and can help optimize the treatment regimen.
After seeing thousands of patients via video for a variety of medical conditions, I realized that virtual care could go well beyond allergies, and improve access to care, quality of life, and most importantly, the doctor patient relationship. I can’t tell you the number of times a patient has said to me, “thank you — I’ve felt listened to, cared for, and I now have a better understanding of my medical condition.” In addition to that, I’ve helped people get back to their everyday lives, instead of wasting a day traveling to and from a doctors office.
Another area where telemedicine excels is behavioral health. There is no clinical reason why a person needs to sit in a doctors office for a therapy session. In fact, patient’s tend to be more open and comfortable when having a discussion from the comfort of their home.
The Power of Telemedicine
More and more people are open to engaging with their healthcare provider through email, text, phone, and video than ever before. It makes sense — almost every other industry has had a technology breakthrough — banking, shopping, even finding a partner! We are slowly overcoming the perception that seeing a doctor means getting into your car, sitting in a waiting room, and being called into the doctor’s office. Especially with the advent of remote monitoring devices that can be kept in someone’s medicine cabinet (a bluetooth enabled blood pressure cuff, an Apple Watch, a virtual stethoscope and otoscope) — doctors have everything they need to conduct a complete visit remotely.
The Business of Medicine
My mission is to leverage technology to advance healthcare. Our healthcare system is broken and too costly, but by adopting new modes of communication and connection with our doctors, we can transform healthcare. With advances in machine learning, we will be able to more accurately and effectively diagnose and prevent disease. It is a very exciting time.
Quick Tips for Patients
I love sharing health hacks and dispelling medical myths, so be sure to follow me on social media (@drtaniaelliott). Here are a few of my favorites:
- Sleeping in a pitch black room not only improves sleep quality but can also help you eat less by down-regulating your hunger hormones.
- Taking 10,000 steps per day can help increase life expectancy. Remember the best activity trackers are those that are closest to your body. Keeping your smartphone in your pocket while walking is more accurate than wearing an activity tracker on your wrist!
- 95 percent of people who report they have a penicillin allergy can actually take Penicillin. Most people grow out of their allergy within a few years, and there is a very accurate allergy test available to figure out if someone is still allergic.
Lightning Round
A piece of technology that has made life easier: Smartphone (a bit of a curse though).
I disconnect by…doing a phone detox one weekend a month. I put my phone in a drawer and don’t look at it for 48 hours.
I stay healthy by…working out with core body strengthening at least twice a week and walking at least 30 mins a day.
If I weren’t a doctor I’d be…a travel blogger.
I feel looked after when…I go to yoga class. I love that someone is helping guide me to be present and in the moment.
Favorites
Yoga: Integral Yoga, it’s Hatha style.
Must have apps for busy women: Rent the Runway.
Travel spot: For the beach, Bora Bora. For city, Santa Fe, or Savannah. They all have this energy that’s mystical and magical.
You can learn more about Dr. Tania Elliott here.
Know a great female doctor in NYC? We’d love to meet her, introduce us here!
