Doctor visits to your home are back - sort of.

St. Luke's University Health Network has recently started to offer Care Anywhere, which allows people to be seen by one of their doctors via computer, Smartphone or tablet any time of day, any day of the week, from anywhere in Pennsylvania."Smartphones and mobile devices are used for almost everything and now they can be used for a doctor's visit," said Ray Midlam, vice president of Planning and Business Development for St. Luke's University Health Network. "The service is great for when your doctor's office is closed or when you just don't feel like leaving the house."That was the situation Mindy Watson and her daughter Abby Watson found themselves in.Abby had cut the cuticle on her finger too low. About a week later, the pain was worse and her mother feared it was infected. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday night and their doctor's office was closed. Mindy Watson had heard about Care Anywhere, because she is a bereavement counselor at St. Luke's. She decided to give it a try."It was pretty easy to use," Watson said. The most labor-intensive part was creating an account and answering some health questions before seeing the doctor.Dr. Robert Dolansky, network director for Urgent Care at St. Luke's, recommends setting up the account before it is needed. Then when the time comes, it's quick and easy to see the doctor.Once the information was input, Watson took a picture of her daughter's finger and uploaded it for the doctor to see. Three minutes later, Dr. Dolansky appeared on the screen. He had reviewed the picture and her symptoms and indeed the finger was infected. He called in a prescription."She's fine now," Watson said. "She's used to FaceTiming with her friends, so this wasn't a big deal. She thought it was cool though."St. Luke's Care Anywhere is the first service of its kind in the region. Dolansky said online medical visits have been offered in other areas of the country for seven years."It's a growing trend nationally. More people are looking for this type of service," he said. "If you can us Skype, you can use this service."The service was made possible through a partnership between St. Luke's and American Well, a telehealth software and services company. American Well is providing the technology platform and additional board-certified health care professionals as part of the 24-hour service."We really vetted this out," Dolansky said. "I was skeptical at first. I didn't want it to be an antibiotic dispenser."Common complaints that can be treated include sore throats, viruses, flu symptoms, fever, ear aches, coughs, headaches, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, abdominal pain, diarrhea and skin rashes. Of these visits, 57 percent do require a prescription.The service is available for patients 18 years or older and those 12 years or older when accompanied by a guardian. Patients pay a $49 fee by credit card at the time of service. This service isn't covered by most insurance. If the doctor thinks the patient needs to be seen in person, then the cost of the online visit is applied to total cost of care. The patient doesn't pay for two visits to the doctor,Dolansky said.A family physician is still essential for maintenance care of chronic problems, such as diabetes and asthma, Dolansky said. He envisions online care will be beneficial to people newly released from the hospital, post-operation patients, or those with a mental health issue."Some people are more comfortable talking to a doctor from the privacy of their home," he said.To use the service, go online to

www.slhn.org/careanywhere. There is also a short tutorial video for those who need it. The St. Luke's Care Anywhere app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store or Google Play by searching for St. Luke's Care Anywhere or by clicking on the link from the St. Luke's website.