FAQs

School-based telemedicine is a convenient way to have your child seen by a pediatrician for sick visits and behavioral health consultations. We use video conferencing technology to connect your child with a board-certified pediatrician. Your child’s school nurse will assist the doctor in performing the physical examination using special equipment. You can expect the same quality care that you receive in the doctor’s office because many common pediatric illnesses can be diagnosed with a thorough history and physical exam.

With the parents’ permission, a student may be evaluated by a board-certified pediatrician through a telemedicine conference. The school nurse will quickly evaluate the student in person. After contacting the parent, the school nurse can connect with a Peds Purpose pediatrician. The Peds Purpose provider will complete an assessment of the student to include input from the school nurse and participating parent or legal guardian during the visit.

The school nurse will assist the provider during the evaluation using special equipment as needed. The provider can hear the student’s heart and lungs with a digital stethoscope. The provider can closely examine the student’s ears, throat, rash, or abrasions with a high-definition camera.

Upon completion of the evaluation, the provider will give instructions for follow-up care and submit an order to your pharmacy of choice for prescription medications, if needed. A record of your child’s visit will be kept in the student’s medical record at Peds Purpose for future reference. A copy of the visit summary will also be sent to your child’s primary care physician. The parent or legal guardian will have access to all treatment information through an online health record portal.

Parents or guardians can book a visit by clicking on the booking link. Select an appointment time. Fill in the appointment details.

** Parents can enter their date of birth for children under 18 years old. Enter your child’s name and date of birth in the text box. Once you submit the appointment request, you will receive an email with the video link.

For visits conducted at school, children will be seen, and parents or guardians will be sent an invoice.

For parent-initiated visits, patients with Commercial Insurance will have a $15 copay, due at the time of the visit.  Patients with Medicaid or TRICARE will have a $0 copay. Your insurance company will determine any additional financial responsibilities you may have based on the specifics of your individual policy. Patients with Non-Participating Commercial Insurance will be billed a discount rate of $50.

Examples of conditions that could be treated by telemedicine are:

Ear infection (school-based only, otoscopic exam required)

Swimmer’s ear

Rashes

Fever

Asthma

Constipation pain

Scabies

Flu

Lice

Strep (school-based only, testing required)

Allergic rhinitis

Pink eye

Mental/behavioral health

In some cases, your child’s condition is too complex for a virtual visit. The doctor will help guide you and your child to the right level of care (e.g. pediatric office, urgent care, or emergency department).

We can evaluate your child, make recommendations, and provide referrals, if needed. We are not able to prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine. If it is determined that your child would benefit from a medication, such as Ritalin for ADHD, you will need to obtain that medication from your primary care doctor.

We are not a replacement for your primary care pediatrician. At the end of each visit, we will send an after-visit summary of your child’s visit to your pediatrician’s office.

Peds Purpose telemedicine is fully HIPAA compliant and secure. You can be assured that your conversations with the doctor and your child’s records are secure and private.

Your child will be seen by board-certified pediatricians.

Right now, the Peds Purpose telemedicine program is offered in New Jersey only. We are growing our telemedicine offering and have plans to expand to other states.

Parents will need to sign a consent form each school year for their child to participate. You can complete the consent form and registration documents online at https://www.pedspurpose.com/patient-information.

If you are unable to complete the documents online, a paper packet can be obtained from the school nurse and returned to your child’s school. Your child’s school will submit all required documentation to Peds Purpose to enroll your child in the program.

Physician services are provided on a fee-for-service basis. Private insurance and New Jersey Medicaid will be billed for those students presenting verified coverage. When eligible coverage cannot be verified, the parent/guardian will be asked for payment. Payments can be made using the invoice link sent to your email or on your child’s portal account after the visit has concluded.

The current cash fees are:
$50 per visit. This fee includes the medical evaluation, scripts, respiratory testing, and referrals, if needed.

We are contracted with: Aetna, Horizon Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, AmeriHealth, Medicaid of New Jersey, United Healthcare Community Plan, Amerigroup, Horizon NJ Health, Well Care Health Plan, and Aetna Better Health

Once registration into the program is completed for your child, you will receive an email invitation to the email address listed on your child’s registration form that includes a link to set up your Peds Purpose portal account.

When a student presents to the school nurse’s office, the nurse will assess the student’s condition and contact the parent or legal guardian to discuss if it is appropriate to schedule an appointment. An appointment cannot be scheduled without the consent of the parent or legal guardian.

You may participate in your child’s appointment in three different ways. The provider may ask you about your child’s medical history or current medications so please have this information ready and available.

1) You may attend the appointment in person at your child’s school.
2) You may listen to your child’s appointment by phone call.
3) You may request an email link to be sent to you to join the appointment by video.

Here are some steps to ensure a smooth appointment:

1. Monitor your email queue closely and prepare to join the session promptly. The provider and nursing staff will be moving from student appointment to student appointment as close to the scheduled time as possible.
2. Ensure that the camera and microphone on your device are turned on.
   3. Ensure that you are in a private and quiet location to protect your child’s privacy and minimize background noise or distractions.

Registration or Billing Questions – Please contact Peds Purpose Telemedicine Services Coordinator at ttucker@pedspurpose.com or 856-230-7208.

Follow-up questions about my child’s school-based clinic visit – If you have questions regarding recommendations made for your child’s care, medication questions, or to report a change in your child’s condition, please use the secure text messaging feature to send questions directly to the doctor. You can also contact the Peds Purpose physician at 856-230-7208.

Routine Healthcare Needs – Please contact your child’s primary care physician for any routine healthcare checkups/vaccinations.

School-Based Healthcare Needs – Please discuss any healthcare needs your child may have while at school directly with the school nurse at your child’s campus.