Seeing a doctor online: what it suits, and what should go to a clinic
A video consultation saves the journey and gets you a doctor sooner, but a doctor cannot examine you through a camera. This says which problems work well online, which should be seen in person, and what to prepare so the call is worth it.
What works well online
Things you can describe and that show on camera: a cold, a sore throat, a cough without high fever, a rash that is not spreading, mild diarrhoea, seasonal allergies, poor sleep, stress. Going over blood results or imaging already done. Renewing a regular prescription for a well-controlled chronic condition. Follow-up after treatment that the doctor arranged. Prescriptions and medical certificates can be issued through the system.
What needs an examination, or a hospital now
A clinic: abdominal pain that needs pressing on, ear or throat pain that needs looking into, anything that needs the lungs or heart listened to, a wound that may need stitches, fever in a small child, and anything that has not improved two or three days after an online consultation. A hospital or 1669 at once: chest tightness, trouble breathing, weakness down one side, slurred speech, a seizure or collapse, bleeding that will not stop, high fever with a stiff neck or a purple rash, and sudden severe abdominal pain.
Making the call count
Sit somewhere quiet and bright, facing the light so the doctor can see your skin colour and any rash. Have your medicines beside you. If you own a blood-pressure cuff, thermometer or fingertip oximeter, take readings before you start. Photograph a rash or wound in daylight beforehand in case the camera is poor. And, as for any consultation, note when it started, what it is like, and what makes it better or worse. If the doctor tells you to be seen in person, that is not wasted time — it is the right answer from that consultation.
