When you want to talk to a doctor fast, or you don’t have the means to travel to a distant hospital or clinic, you may be able to get your needs met through telemedicine.
Doctors may use different telemedicine platforms to connect to their patients. However, there are generally a few steps you can take to get connected with a health care provider.
If you’ve already seen a doctor and want to schedule a follow-up visit virtually, ask your provider’s office whether they offer telemedicine appointments. If they do, you may be able to schedule a visit and attend your appointment through their software.
When you take this route, your provider should already have some of your past health information. However, you may need to set up an account so that your doctor knows who you are.
At the time of your appointment, you will likely need to go into your provider’s software and click a link to begin a video call. If you’re not clear on how this process works or you have trouble creating an account, reach out to your doctor’s office for assistance.
For those who don’t currently see a doctor and are interested in talking to someone new, signing up for an online telemedicine service may be a good path forward.
Talk to a doctor over an internet connection by signing up with a website or smartphone app — such as Eagle Health Telemedicine — that provides telehealth services. During this process, you will likely have to create an account and input some of your personal health information.
Through a website or app, you can usually schedule appointments whenever works best for you. You may also be able to talk to a provider immediately for more urgent situations.
When it’s time for your virtual visit, you can usually just press a button to start talking to a provider. You may have to first supply information about why you want to see a doctor. After this step, you may be taken into a chat with an expert health care provider or into a face-to-face virtual meeting.
Whether you use a telemedicine platform provided by your doctor or try out a new service, you will likely have to first create an account. This may involve steps like creating a password for your account or supplying basic personal information such as your name and email address.
During this process, you may also have to provide proof of your identity. This helps ensure that your doctor knows who they are talking to.
The doctor or nurse that you are seeing can provide you with better care if they know your medical history. When you start using a telemedicine service, you will likely be asked to enter as much information as you can into an intake form.
An intake form on a telemedicine website or app may ask you for things like:
Set aside a good chunk of time to complete this form and make sure you are providing information that is as up-to-date and accurate as possible.
Once you’ve experienced one telemedicine visit, it will be easy to complete the next one. All of your personal information, medications, health history, and doctor’s notes will be saved within the website or app. This can help both you and your provider go back and review what you discussed at a previous visit and quickly tackle any problems at your next visit.