A day before

Pick a quiet 10 minutes the night before.

• Find the appointment link. Check your email for a link from MyChart, Doxy.me, Zoom for Healthcare, or whatever your provider uses. Forward it to yourself a second time so it is at the top of your inbox tomorrow.
• Test the link in advance. Tap the link now, not at appointment time. The first time you open a telehealth app, it asks for camera and microphone permission. Sort that out today.
• Make sure the device is charged or plugged in. Video calls drain a phone or tablet fast. If on a phone or tablet, plug it in. If on a laptop, plug it in.
• Pick the room. Quiet, well-lit. A window behind you (with light on your face, not the camera) is best. Kitchen table works well.

Have ready

Print or write on a card. Keep it next to the device.

• A current list of every medication. Name, dose, how often. Include over-the-counter pills and supplements. The doctor will ask. Photograph the bottle labels if it is faster.
• Recent test results or vitals. If you measure your blood pressure, blood sugar, or weight at home, write down the last week of numbers.
• Your top 3 questions. Write them down. Telehealth time is short. Big questions go first — anything left over goes in a follow-up message through the patient portal.
• Your pharmacy phone number. If the doctor wants to send a new prescription, they will ask which pharmacy. "CVS on 5th street" is not enough — the address and phone are.

15 minutes before

Stop everything else.

• Open the app or click the link. Some platforms put you in a "waiting room" until the doctor joins. Better to be there 5 minutes early than 5 minutes late.
• Test the camera and microphone. You should see your own face and hear your own voice when the camera is on. If not, close everything and re-open the app — usually fixes it.
• Close other tabs and apps. On a laptop, close everything except the telehealth window. On a phone, close apps in the background. Leaves more memory for the call.
• Mute everything else. Phone on Do Not Disturb. TV off. Pets in another room.

During the call

• Speak slowly and look at the camera. The doctor reads facial expressions. Looking at the green dot near the camera (not at the screen) makes them feel like you are looking at them.
• Move into good light if needed. If the doctor cannot see your skin tone, your eyes, or a rash you want to show — face the window or turn on a lamp.
• Show, do not only describe. For rashes, swelling, or wounds — point the camera right at it. The doctor can see things in 4K that they could not see on a phone call.
• Take notes or have someone else do it. It is fair to ask a family member to listen with you and take notes. Or ask the doctor "could you summarise that in a portal message?" — most will.

After the visit

• Check the patient portal that night. The doctor usually posts an "after-visit summary" with everything discussed. Read it. If anything is wrong, message back through the portal.
• Confirm prescriptions arrived at the pharmacy. Call the pharmacy or check the pharmacy app. Sometimes prescriptions get stuck in the system.
• Add follow-up items to your calendar. New meds — set reminders. Lab work — book it. Next appointment — calendar it.