During medical appointments, patients expect their doctor to have a bedside manner that is equal parts informative, communicable and focused on the matters at hand. When these appointments are held virtually, the doctor’s camera plays a big role in ensuring such tendencies are in full display.
According to the Global Telehealth Survey, 93% of doctors think “that the video quality they deliver via [telemedicine] is critical to the patient experience.”
Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc., regularly sees patients in-person and virtually. He’s learned that in order for virtual visits to go well, the doctor’s video feed needs to be impeccable. This can be accomplished by:
- Having terrific lighting: When a patient is receiving test results, diagnoses, or other pertinent information, they need to be able to see the doctor. To make this possible, all doctors should be cognizant of how bright their room is. If the setting is too dark, better lighting solutions (ideally, LED bulbs and/or fixtures) should be invested in. Another fix is to open the window curtains and allow for natural light to brighten a room
- Distraction-free surroundings: During in-person appointments, patients are used to a one-on-one exam room experience free of distraction. For virtual visits, doctors should focus on conducting appointments from a quiet, private space in which interruptions are avoidable. Additionally, while it is nice to have splendid room décor, too much of it could distract the patient from taking in all of the information being presented to them
- Upgrade video conferencing equipment: Sometimes in order for doctor-patient video calls to be at their best, a medical clinic will need to invest in new equipment to deliver the best results. In some instances this could mean a few new computers, while others might just call for the purchase of a handful of modestly priced webcams or tablets
- Remain in the frame: While doctors may need to move around to retrieve notes and/or test results, they should do everything in their power to always be in the picture. This will help patients see that their doctor is paying the utmost attention to them, and will also help them better hear all points being communicated by the physician
- Have an excellent Internet connection: Even if all of the boxes above have been ticked, a great doctor-patient video call should have a strong Internet connection. This will prevent conversations from stopping and starting, or potentially cutting out all together
“For virtual visits, patients need to be provided with an environment in which they can both easily see and hear their doctor,” adds Dr. Tytus. “Doing so will motivate these patients to continually book virtual medicine appointments.”
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