Get the most from your phone or video appointments
Leanne Hale, Asthma UK Respiratory Nurse, shares some top tips to help you prepare for your phone or video appointment, as well as what to expect during the appointment itself.
As a Respiratory Nurse, the past year has seen a dramatic shift in how I review and engage with my patients. The way my clinics ran changed overnight, from giving face-to-face appointments to telephone or video appointments.
Although I was apprehensive at first, this change has had many advantages. It has enabled myself and colleagues to conduct thorough respiratory reviews during a time when routine reviews were on hold.
The role of peak flow monitoring at home, as well as discussing the importance of symptom diaries, has also been paramount. Changing the way we carry out appointments has also enabled patients to have more empowerment when it comes to managing their condition, and the role of self-management plans has been at the forefront of my consultations.
My patients have engaged with all types of different reviews, depending on what suits their needs best. Some have even preferred this type of appointment rather than a face-to-face review, as some can be completed at a time that better suits the patient.
However, I know that for some people medical appointments generally can be overwhelming, as it can feel like there’s a lot to take in and remember. I’ve put together some top tips to help you prepare for your phone or video appointment, as well as what to expect during the appointment itself.
Preparing for your appointment
Before your appointment, make sure you have a stable connection – whether that’s a good phone line, or a 3G, 4G or wi-fi connection. If you’ve been offered a video appointment, you’ll need a camera and speakers for your laptop or computer as well. You could also use your smartphone for video appointments if you have one.
Have the appointment somewhere quiet and private, and where you won’t be distracted. Think about the lighting if you’re on a video call. Try not to have any lights directly behind you, like a window on a sunny day or a bright lamp.
Make a list of your medicines, as well as anything that’s happened since your last appointment that you think your GP might want to hear about. This could be a worsening of your symptoms, and what you think may have triggered this or anything else you think is important.
You might also find it useful to write down a list of questions you want to ask, or anything you want to say. If you’re on a video call, you could write bullet points on post-it notes and stick it to the edge of your computer or laptop screen, as prompts. You might also find it useful to have a notepad to hand during the appointment, in case you want to jot down anything.
Have anything with you that you might need as well. This might be your:
medicines
peak flow meter
peak flow diary or symptom diary
During the appointment
Appointments are often short and there can be a lot of information to get across, both from you and your GP or asthma nurse.
Speak clearly and try not to talk over each other. Listen carefully when your GP or asthma nurse is talking – perhaps turn the sound right up on your phone or computer if you think you might have trouble hearing them. If you don’t understand something, or you miss something they say, ask them for an explanation or for them to repeat what they say.
If you feel like you need a bit of work on your inhaler technique, you can ask your GP to check it for you if you have a video call. You might also want to take a look at our inhaler technique videos, which are for both adults and children. There are also videos on how to use a spacer and a nasal spray.
If you have an action plan, you might want to fill this in with your GP or asthma nurse while on the call. If you feel like something in your action plan isn’t working for you, then tell them.
If you get cut off during the call – for example, if your internet goes down – don’t panic. Your GP or asthma nurse is likely to try to ring you back.
Finally: be honest with your GP or asthma nurse about whether having phone or video appointments is working for you. Although we have reduced the number of face-to-face appointments we are offering at the moment, we do offer them to people if they are needed or preferred.
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