HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TELEMEDICINE APPOINTMENT

Telemedicine provides an opportunity for you to receive medical care without making a physical visit to your physician. As the world adjusts to the post effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that shook every sector, telemedicine continues to grow as a better, safer, and more efficient healthcare option. Typically, the most common mode of receiving virtual care is through a video chat with your physician, but telemedicine could also involve phone calls, text messages, and even emails.

health records for telehealth appointment

If you have booked a consultation with a physician, it may most likely be through a video chat or phone call. Although not a physical meeting, you still need to put certain things in place and adequately prepare for you to get the most out of your telemedicine appointment. So, if you have a telemedicine meeting in a couple of hours or days, here are a few things you can do to make sure your appointment is seamless and productive.

Before the meeting…

GATHER NECESSARY INFORMATION

To make a proper diagnosis and give the right prescription, your physician needs all the information they can get during your telemedicine visit. You should do your part by getting this information ready. A good place to start is by listing out all your symptoms and how long you’ve had them. If you can take pictures of physical symptoms like rashes or swellings, that would be great too. You should also have your medical records handy, like medication you are taking or might have taken in recent times. If there are medications you react adversely to, it would also be nice to note them down as they would come in handy when your physician needs to write your prescription. Finally, take your vitals if you’re able to and record them in preparation for your virtual meeting. Record your temperature with a home thermometer, take your weight and height measurements, and take your pulse if you can. All these details will help you and your physician save time and improve the quality of your telemedicine visit.

SORT OUT THE TECHNICAL ASPECT

For a seamless experience, you should ensure before your visit that the devices you need for your meeting are properly set up and working adequately. If you will be using your computer for the video session, make sure that your computer and browser are compatible with the telemedicine platform you will be working with. If it will be a video conference meeting, test the link prior to the meeting and make sure it’s working. Would you like to use a background? It would be great to choose one in time and try out how it looks before your meeting. Another thing to do is to get a good and reliable Wi-Fi connection before your meeting. If you are using your computer, you should set up your virtual meeting location where the Wi-Fi connection is strongest. You should also set up your devices in a way that your physician can have a very good view of your face. Many physicians have reported seeing only the chin or top of their patient’s head. If you need support, you could call a friend to help you make sure you are good to go.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPACE

Whether you are having a video call or a phone call, it is essential that you have a good environment where you can communicate with your physician clearly without disturbances. You should especially aim for a quiet space. You do not want a barking dog or a machine making a loud noise, disrupting your meeting with your doctor. Also, turn off your TV, radio, and other appliances that may disturb your session. For your video meeting, try as much as possible to get somewhere with good lighting. If you can’t get good natural lighting, you may want to consider ring lamps or other light sources. Good lighting helps your doctor see you better and have a comprehensive assessment of your condition.

GET BETTER AUDIO

During your telemedicine visit, you want to be able to communicate with your physician clearly. Besides getting a quiet environment, you can also improve the audio quality by using a good microphone, earbuds, or earphones. Using earphones will also help with privacy as no unwanted third party can listen in on your doctor’s diagnosis or prescriptions. Make sure you test your audio before the meeting to avoid breaking or cracking noises.

During The Meeting…

BE OPEN WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN

During your telemedicine appointment, you should try to be as open and as honest as you can be with your physician. Share the information gathered before the meeting with them and answer the questions they ask. On most telemedicine platforms like MD Connected, your privacy is guaranteed and would only be used by your physician to give you quality virtual care.

ASK QUESTIONS

If some things are not clear to you during your meeting or need clarification on your recommended treatment, please ask questions. Ask as many questions as you need till you are satisfied with the answers. It would also help to have a list of these questions beforehand, so you don’t forget them during the meeting.

REQUEST A SUMMARY

After your telemedicine appointment, you can request a summary of everything you discussed from your physician. This will guarantee that you did not miss anything during the meeting and every area was covered.

IN CONCLUSION

During the pandemic, over 47% of Canadians received virtual care through telemedicine, with 91% of them saying they had a satisfactory experience. This shows that telemedicine can be just as effective as in-clinic visits with the right measures put in place for a variety of cases. Unless your physician recommends you visit a clinic to receive in-patient care, you can receive quality virtual care from the comfort of your home and save yourself the stress and financial cost. New to telemedicine? Learn more about how it works and book your first appointment with a Canadian licensed doctor at MD Connected here.

Virtual Care