Telemedicine – also called telehealth – is an amazing new way to receive consultations, diagnoses, and prescriptions from a doctor. Rather than actually driving to your local urgent care clinic for help, you can simply schedule an appointment and conference with the doctor from the comfort of your own home. It’s effective too! According to studies, at least 2/3 of patient visits to clinics or doctors’ offices can actually be resolved through a simple video-conferencing call.
If you’ve never used telemedicine services before, it might be a little confusing. A good clinic will give you instructions on how to use the video software, but we wanted to share some tips to make the most of the experience.
Four Ways to Have a Great Telemedicine Experience
1 – If possible, try out the video software ahead of time
Most clinics use a commonplace video conferencing service like Skype or Zoom to handle the appointment. If you aren’t familiar with the software, try using it for a test call before the telehealth visit so that you know what all the buttons and functions do. Chances are you have friends or social media contacts with the same software.
2 – Remember that eye contact means looking at the camera
It’s easy to focus on the image of the doctor on your screen, but keep in mind that to them, it would look like you’re staring at their chest. If you want to make ‘eye contact’ in your conversation, you need to look directly into the camera on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
3 – Shut down browsers and other apps that use the Internet
Video conferencing needs a lot of data bandwidth to work well, so it’s a good idea to shut down anything else on your device/laptop that would be using the Internet. Having a lot of browser windows open, streaming music, or other apps using data will cause the video performance to suffer.
4 – Have your session somewhere that’s free from distractions
You really want privacy when you’re having a telehealth session, especially if you have a situation that requires showing the doctor parts of your body for examination. We highly recommend closing yourself off in a room and telling other people in the house to stay out until you’ve finished your session.
Get Telemedicine from Advanced Urgent Care
Advanced Urgent Care of Pasadena now offers telehealth services! For the fastest and most affordable way to consult with a doctor, click here to learn more and schedule a virtual appointment.