What to Know About Telehealth for Lyme Disease

Suspecting you or a loved one may have Lyme disease is a stressful experience that requires immediate consultation with a healthcare provider. Fortunately, telehealth services are widely available to help you navigate through the uncertainty of whether you’ve been exposed to a tick carrying the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, if you have been infected, and how to treat the condition before it leads to additional health concerns.

While telehealth services are available for initial symptom consultation and diagnosis, the authorizing of antibiotic prescriptions, and post-treatment follow-ups, there are some considerations to keep in mind to ensure you get the best care possible. These include knowing when it’s appropriate to use telehealth for Lyme disease, how to prepare for your visit, and how to find out if your insurance provider will cover the appointment fees. 

When to Use Telehealth for Lyme Disease

You can use telehealth in any stage of Lyme disease, from early-stage consultation to antibiotic infection treatment and post-treatment follow-up to, if necessary, later-stage symptom support and management. 

You may want to use telehealth for a suspected tick bite in the following scenarios:

• You live near or spend time in wooded areas where blacklegged ticks are known to live and are showing symptoms of Lyme disease, including flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, fatigue, chills), mood changes, and cognitive decline unrelated to another health condition.
• You have a bull’s-eye patterned rash anywhere on your body that is expanding with no known cause, such as food or environmental allergies.
• You want to discuss eligibility for a Lyme disease test from a specialist.
• You have been tested for Lyme disease and your clinician wants to discuss the results.
• Your symptoms are persisting despite treatment.
• You suspect you have been misdiagnosed and you want a second opinion regarding the possibility of Lyme disease.

Benefits and Challenges 

Telehealth for Lyme disease is particularly useful and has the potential to actually improve patient experience, especially for patients living in rural areas, who are more likely to encounter ticks, or patients in small cities, without access to readily available healthcare options. Telehealth is particularly beneficial for suspected Lyme patients because early treatment of infection can prevent Lyme disease from progressing from a localized area to other parts of your body, possibly infecting your joints, heart, and nervous system. You and your healthcare provider can determine the likelihood you have Lyme disease, the severity of your symptoms, what treatment is needed, and if you should be referred to a specialist.

One of the challenges of using telehealth for Lyme disease is that a physical exam, which is central to making an accurate diagnosis, is not possible. However, research suggests the pandemic has deprioritized the need for a physical exam in cases of suspected Lyme disease. Telehealth with video capability and photo-upload options means skin examinations and documentations of lesions or rashes can take place virtually. 

In many cases, being able to see a specialist via telehealth may prove to be more useful than having an in-person appointment with a healthcare provider who may be unfamiliar with Lyme disease. It’s been noted that computer-assisted prescreenings of skin findings can complement even the nonexpert clinician’s ability to determine Lyme diagnosis.

Of course, in cases where a rash or skin lesion is not present or video options are not available, telehealth is still limited in its ability to confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease and, without a definitive diagnosis, your visit may not be covered by insurance.

How to Prepare for a Telehealth Visit for Lyme Disease

Preparing for your telehealth visit for Lyme disease involves a few considerations. Begin by booking your appointment with a primary care provider who can later refer you to a specialist, if necessary. 

Preparations include:

• Checking with your insurance provider about coverage
• Letting the healthcare provider know if you have a rash and asking if the appointment will be by video or phone
• Asking your healthcare provider in advance whether you need to sign consent forms, take photos of your rash, and send them to the office, or if everything will be handled over the video call
• Jotting down a list of your symptoms (such as rash, fever, and chills), their duration, and their severity
• Making another, thorough list of other conditions or lifestyle factors that could be contributing to your symptoms, such as having arthritis, as arthritis can mimic symptoms of Lyme arthritis, which occurs when Lyme disease bacteria reach the joints
• Compiling a list of questions to ask during your appointment, including any specifics about antibiotic treatment, medication contraindications, and whether you’ll need a follow-up appointment
• Finding a spot for your telehealth appointment that has good lighting and will be quiet and free from distraction
• Downloading and testing the video or phone call platform the provider uses, if applicable
• Reserving use of a public computer, if necessary

What Happens During the Visit? 

You can expect your telehealth visit to be similar to an in-person visit. Depending on your symptoms, the visit may last anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. During this time, the healthcare provider will ask you questions to get a better understanding of whether Lyme disease is causing your symptoms and if you need blood work performed.

Common questions include:

• Do you have a tick bite? If yes, the healthcare provider will ask follow-up questions, including if you removed the tick and if it was removed entirely, what it looked like, and the geographic location where the bite occurred. This can help determine tick species and the likelihood of an infection, as some areas are prone to ticks that carry Lyme disease. 
• Do you have a rash? If so, you will be asked to show evidence of it, either by a photo or on camera.
• What symptoms are you experiencing, and for how long have they been occurring?
• How severe are your symptoms?
• What is your full medical history?

The result of your appointment largely depends on the presence or absence of a rash, current or past symptoms, and whether tick exposure was likely. In cases where your healthcare provider suspects early-stage Lyme disease, you will likely be prescribed antibiotics.

In some cases, you may be asked to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for symptom management. When your healthcare provider needs further evidence to make a confident diagnosis, you may be referred to a specialist and to a lab to have blood work done. You can expect a telehealth follow-up after test results have been sent to your healthcare provider or to discuss your antibiotic treatment after its completion. 

A Word From Verywell

The best way to treat Lyme disease is through early diagnosis, and telehealth can help with that because it offers greater access to healthcare providers than traditional methods. Making the appropriate preparations before your appointment will help ensure you have a successful telehealth visit and, in turn, effective Lyme disease management. Ask a family member or friend to be with you on the call if you feel scared and need support during your appointment.