How to prepare for an e-visit with an internist?

A prescription, release or advice on disturbing symptoms can be obtained from an internist not only in the office, but also during an e-visit. Such a consultation requires the patient to properly prepare and plan the most important issues that he wants to discuss with the doctor. We answer the most important questions regarding preparation for an e-visit to an internist.

When to use an e-visit to an internist?

An internist is a specialist who deals with diseases of the internal organs. It advises patients who complain about symptoms associated with a wide range of diseases and disorders. It is worth visiting an internist as part of an e-visit when they appear:

1. digestive system ailments;
2. problems with the respiratory system;
3. cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure, hypotension and arrhythmias;
4. rheumatic ailments;
5. endocrine problems;
6. disorders related to the urinary system;
7. diabetes, osteoporosis and other metabolic disorders.

E-visit to an internist – what will be necessary?

Teleconsultation with an internist requires the patient to take into account the basic aspects of each medical visit, including an interview, and to prepare possible test results for discussion. In addition, you should remember about the elements necessary for an effective and efficient start of a remote visit:

1. preparing an appropriate device for connection with a doctor (e.g. a computer with a webcam and access to the Internet, telephone);
2. good connection to the internet or telephone network;
3. an identity document with a PESEL number, which may be needed to issue an e-prescription, e-referral or e-waiver.

How to prepare for a medical interview with an internist?

Consultation with an internist as part of an e-visit, similarly to a traditional consultation, is largely based on a medical history. In the case of teleconsultation, it is essential honest conversation with the doctorduring which the patient presents his problem and tells about the disturbing symptoms. In order to obtain a complete picture of the patient’s health condition, the internist, apart from listening to information about the ailments, may ask additional questions. They are essential for diagnosis and proper treatment.

In order to prepare for a medical interview, you should prepare information about the problem with which you report (for convenience, you can write them down in advance), and be ready to answer questions about:

1. chronic diseases and currently taken medications – if there are several of them, you can prepare a list of them so that you do not forget about one;
2. symptoms, their nature and duration;
3. possible sources of complaints if they were started by specific events in the past;
4. allergies;
5. family intelligence.

As part of the preparation for an e-visit to an internist, the patient may additionally take appropriate measurements (e.g. body temperature, blood pressure or heart rate) – especially if such information is relevant to the health problem.

bow. Miłosz Kuświk – internist providing telemedicine advice using the haloDoctor.pl platform

When using online medical consultations, remember about mutual respect and seriousness. The visit should be conducted in a professional manner and in a way that allows keeping medical confidentiality. The room in which we use the advice should be quiet and well-lit. We should have access to devices enabling communication and verification of personal data (preferably a computer with a camera or a smartphone). Most of the technical problems encountered during your online visits can be resolved together in minutes, sometimes seconds, with a little patience and goodwill.

Medical services provided with the help of modern telemedicine solutions are undoubtedly the future, which has gained momentum in the era of the COVID 19 pandemic.

E-visit to an internist – what medical documentation to prepare?

During an online consultation with an internist, medical documentation, if we have one, is also important. The results of diagnostic tests, especially the most recent ones, are especially useful in the case of chronic diseases and at the stage of disease diagnosis.

bow. Miłosz Kuświk – internist providing telemedicine advice using the haloDoctor.pl platform

We should prepare for an online internist consultation in the same way as for a visit to a “stationary” doctor’s office. The basis for an accurate diagnosis is a properly collected medical history (the so-called subjective examination). The patient should not hide any health-related facts from the doctor and answer the questions in detail. During the online consultation, the doctor will ask many questions, thanks to which he will make a diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment.

When preparing for the teleconsultation, you should think about how to answer questions about: chronic diseases and current medications (make sure you prepare a list of medications that are taken chronically); current disease symptoms and their duration (location, nature of ailments, etc.); whether the onset of symptoms is related to specific past events;

The doctor will also ask about allergies and family history.

It is important to inform the doctor about important matters that were not asked during the interview process;

If we have up-to-date results of biochemical and imaging tests, blood pressure measurements, blood glucose level measurements and medical documentation (hospital discharge reports, certificates from specialists, photocopying of PHC documentation), we should prepare them in the form of a file (e.g. take photos) and send them to the doctor before or during visits.

Paweł Skoczylas, MD, PhD – family doctor, internist providing telemedicine advice using the haloDoctor.pl platform

If the e-visit concerns a chronic disease, the patient should prepare the results of the diagnostic tests performed so far. The most up-to-date results are of course the most important for the doctor. However, the earlier results may be helpful in assessing the effectiveness of the therapy used so far. On the other hand, if a patient reports due to a cold, flu or other infectious diseases, the doctor will ask a few questions to collect a detailed interview from the patient, necessary to make an accurate diagnosis. The patient – depending on the health problem with which he or she reports to the doctor – should: measure body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate.

dr n. med. Ireneusz Kaczmarczyk, nephrologist, immunologist, internist and clinical transplantologist providing telemedicine advice using the haloDoctor.pl platform

E-visit to immunology, nephrology or internist first of all requires the patient to prepare the results of all kinds of tests, write down the symptoms and ailments and note the problem the patient is struggling with. If the treated person has any medical records or information cards from the hospital, he should also present them on e-consultation.

1. Do you have symptoms of a cold, infection or do you want to consult your health status in the context of chronic diseases? Talk to an internist by phone, chat or use a video call

E-visit to an internist – where should it be?

The patient chooses the date and time of the visit himself, so he should make sure that on a given day at the indicated time he will have access to a comfortable and quiet room and a device necessary to establish a connection with an internist. Avoid noisy places or places where someone might disturb you during a conversation.

Paweł Skoczylas, MD, PhD – family doctor, internist providing telemedicine advice using the haloDoctor.pl platform

At the agreed time of the e-visit, the patient should provide himself a place where he will be able to talk freely with the doctor, will not be embarrassed by the presence of other people, will not be distracted by noise from the environment. Unfortunately, there are cases when patients make calls while driving, putting themselves and other road users at risk, and constantly losing the mobile phone coverage. It also often happens that at the agreed time of the e-visit, the patient is in a shopping mall, at the airport, on the bus or on the beach, and the entire environment learns about all the patient’s health problems at the same time.

How to dress for an e-appointment with an internist?

There are no specific dress code requirements during teleconsultation, but it is worth remembering about your comfort and the possible need to show the doctor any lesions on the body.

Paweł Skoczylas, MD, PhD – family doctor, internist providing telemedicine advice using the haloDoctor.pl platform

There are no preferences regarding the patient’s dress code. The patient should feel comfortable talking to the doctor. If during an e-visit he wants to show the doctor, through a camera, e.g. changes in the skin or a characteristic symptom, the patient’s clothing should enable it in a short time, without having to take off clothes in a hurry.

The most common problem for a patient who uses e-visit for the first time is nervousness, embarrassment, stage fright. An experienced doctor, being aware of this, can remedy it, and after a few sentences of conversation the patient feels fully comfortable.

See also:

1. Telemedicine visits – what problems can be solved thanks to them?
2. The future becomes the present. Home service telemedicine devices
3. Telemedicine advice at the endocrinologist. How does it look in practice?

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