Back toUpdated on October 16, 2024
In this video, dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD, covers all the things to consider for a successful telehealth appointment.
Transcript
Hey, Dr. Henry, so why would I do telehealth for my appointment?
That's a great question. A telehealth visit is a visit with your health care provider either over the phone or by video.
It allows you to conveniently see your doctor wherever you are without going into the office. So ultimately it depends on your setup
and whether your device has audio or video capabilities, but overall a video visit is a little bit closer
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
like a normal visit. So if you're having symptoms, write them down. If you have questions, consider writing your questions down
in order of importance so that you don't forget anything while discussing with your doctor. And then there are the technological considerations,
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,
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.
Also consider using your phone's flashlight to give yourself additional light, which is going to be really important if you're seeing
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
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
is fully charged. If your phone dies in the middle of your appointment, you'll waste precious time getting it back up and running.
