15 PHYSICIAN TIPS FOR A BETTER TELEMEDICINE VISIT
➢ How do you ensure that your virtual patient visits are as successful and effective as your
in-person ones?
➢ How do you prevent any technical glitches from getting in the way of your medical
consultation?
1. Use a High Quality Webcam
What good is video if it’s not high-quality enough for you to clearly see your patient and any visual
symptoms? Plus, when patients can clearly see your face, they’ll be more comfortable and respond
more positively to the visit.This doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy a super-fancy camera.
Many high-quality webcams today are not very expensive
2. Test out all your equipment before you start
Ok, so you’ve got everything set-up. Now, you have to test it out! Before you do your telemedicine
visit, check to make sure your volume’s on, the audio is clear, and your camera and microphone are
working. You might even want to do a quick check each morning to make sure everything is working
properly.
3. Use Good Sound Equipment
Test out the microphone and speakers on your computer and mobile device. What you have might
work ok. If you’re having any trouble getting good audio, though, spring for a high-quality
microphone and some speakers. Also, remember that if you’re planning to have multiple staff in the
room during a telemedicine visit, everyone will need to be heard
4. Set-Up Your Camera at Eye-Level
Whether you're using an integrated or external camera, set it up so that the camera is approximately
eye-level. That way, it’ll be easier to maintain eye contact with the patient and stay engaged during
the visit.
5. Close Unnecessary Programs
Video streaming can take up a lot of bandwidth, so make sure you don’t have too many other
programs or tabs open. You might even want to close out of everything and just have your
telemedicine platform open.
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15 PHYSICIAN TIPS FOR A BETTER TELEMEDICINE VISIT
➢ How do you ensure that your virtual patient visits are as successful and effective as your
in-person ones?
➢ How do you prevent any technical glitches from getting in the way of your medical
consultation?
6. Use a Wired Internet Connection, if possible
A wired connection is less prone to interruptions, so try to use an ethernet cable instead of wifi
whenever you can.
7. Plug in Your Computer or Mobile Device if you can
While this isn’t necessary, it’s always a good idea. The last thing you want is for your power to die in
the middle of the visit.
8. Find a quiet space
Wherever you are (in office, an examination room or @ home ) make sure the space is quiet and
distraction-free. Eliminating distractions and ensuring patient privacy is crucial to a high-quality
telemedicine visit.
9. Read the patient complaint beforehand, if possible
Just like any other visit, try to take a minute before starting the visit to read the patient complaint and
familiarize yourself with the patient record. You'll be more prepared for the visit and will likely make
the appointment more efficient.
10. Adjust the lighting
The lighting in your space can have a big effect on the quality of your video. Pro tip - try turning on
overhead lights and blocking light from windows, which can lead to too much background light in the
video.
11. Share your screen when prompted
Accessing your webcam needs to request permission. When a physician or patient’s video isn’t
working, the number one reason is that they haven’t allowed access to their camera. So, make sure
you do this step!
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15 PHYSICIAN TIPS FOR A BETTER TELEMEDICINE VISIT
➢ How do you ensure that your virtual patient visits are as successful and effective as your
in-person ones?
➢ How do you prevent any technical glitches from getting in the way of your medical
consultation?
12. Follow the same clinical guidelines you would with an in-person visit.
You know the drill. Even if you can't do a physical exam, you can ask good questions and take a
thorough history of present illness. While the technology and interaction is different, the key clinical
guidelines apply to a virtual visit the same way as a physical appointment.
13. Stay Engaged.
Again, treat the virtual visit like you would an in-person visit. Try to maintain eye contact and nod
along to show you’re listening. If you need to take notes or look at something, mention that you’re
doing so to the patient –they may not be able to see exactly what you’re doing, and taking notes
could just seem like you’re distracted or not engaged in the visit.
14. Explain Next Steps.
Once the visit's over, explain what they need to do next (this could be picking up their electronically
prescribed medication from their nearest pharmacy, or scheduling a follow-up appointment in the
next month).This is also a great opportunity to ask the patient what they thought of the virtual visit
process, if this was their first one. With that feedback in hand, you'll continue to make your virtual
visits more successful!
15. Have the Technical/Support team's number easily accessible
Hopefully, you won’t need this number most of the time. But technical problems do come up
sometimes. Write down the support team's number and place it somewhere easily accessible in your
workspace. Make sure you share it with your staff as well, so they can coordinate calling for help
when you’re busy.
