How do I get the most out of a telehealth appointment?

Dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD, covers all the things to consider for a successful telehealth appointment.

Transcript

00:00

Hey, Dr. Henry, so why would I do telehealth for my appointment?

00:10

That's a great question. A telehealth visit is a visit with your health care provider either over the phone or by video.

00:17

It allows you to conveniently see your doctor wherever you are without going into the office. So ultimately it depends on your setup

00:24

and whether your device has audio or video capabilities, but overall a video visit is a little bit closer

00:31

to an in-person visit. For a video visit, there are lots of things you should do to prepare, but essentially you want to consider it just

00:38

like a normal visit. So if you're having symptoms, write them down. If you have questions, consider writing your questions down

00:46

in order of importance so that you don't forget anything while discussing with your doctor. And then there are the technological considerations,

00:53

so make sure you have your camera or your phone in a well lit area. Be using a laptop. It's probably a little bit easier to keep it steady,

01:00

but if you're using a phone, you may want to pay off your phone against something heavier to really make sure that your device is staying still.

01:08

Also consider using your phone's flashlight to give yourself additional light, which is going to be really important if you're seeing

01:14

a dermatologist like me where it's important that we can see the skin really clearly. You may want to consider trying your video with a friend

01:23

so that you don't have to waste time troubleshooting while you're on with your doctor. And last but not least, make sure your device

01:30

is fully charged. If your phone dies in the middle of your appointment, you'll waste precious time getting it back up and running.