How to Conduct a Telemedicine Visit

By Jarrod Beachum, PA-C

Good afternoon everyone! In these times of social distancing and prevention of the spread of COVID-19, here at 45 Urgent Care we have started offering telemedicine to serve our patients.

With telemedicine, we can see you and manage your healthcare while reducing your risk of exposure. This also serves to keep traffic down in the clinic for now, which reduces the risk for those patients who absolutely must come in. With that in mind, I just wanted to go over some tips that will make the visit more productive and more efficient.

When we contact you, we will have to register you as a patient just as if you would come into the clinic. Our staff will verify your identity and insurance information and collect any payment necessary at the beginning of the visit. After that, myself or another provider will then begin the visit in a private room. At the conclusion of the visit, we will end the call and complete any necessary work for you, such as referrals or sending prescriptions. If we determine that you need to come to the clinic or another location, such as for labs, we will let you know.
To be prepared for the visit, you can do the following:

1. Test your video/audio beforehand Whether you are using your phone or a computer/laptop, you will want to make sure that you know how to turn the sound on and off and change the volume during the visit. Being able to see you is essential to the visit, so check the quality of your camera.

2. Camera Set-up You will want to start the visit with the camera at eye level. This facilitates good communication. If you are using a phone, a stand is needed to keep the camera from moving during the visit. Depending on the type of exam, it may be necessary to look at different areas of the body. Using your phone for the visit may enable greater flexibility in this regard.

3. Room Set-up You will want a quite space offering you the most privacy. It should be well lit and uncluttered. There is a chance that you will have to move around the room depending on the purpose of the visit. You will want good overhead lighting and light coming from behind the camera. Large amounts of light coming from behind you, such as a window, will make it very difficult to see you.

4. Clothing Please dress appropriately according to your visit. We will maintain the same modesty standards during the telemedicine visits as we do in the clinic. If there is to be exposure of sensitive areas, take care to uncover only what is medically necessary. A chaperone can be in the clinic room as needed. Special note: We will NOT be recording telemedicine visits. There is no way to capture video or audio. Our communication system is HIPAA-compliant. We will be in a private room during the visit.

5. Computer/Phone Set-up Whether you are using a phone or computer, you will need to close any other running apps or programs and turn off notifications that may interrupt the visit. It is recommended that you either fully charge your device or plug it in. Using a wired connection may be more reliable that WIFI.

6. Be flexible We will do our best to start your visit on time. We are still seeing patients in the clinic and have other duties during the day that are part of delivering high-quality healthcare. My goal is to always start your visit and I and the staff will work hard to make that happen.

I look forward to offering this service and meeting your healthcare needs in a safe and efficient manner. If you would like to schedule a telemedicine visit, call us at 731-554-0571 or visit us at www.45urgentcare.com.

Jarrod Beachum, PA-C