Banty's Dr. Richard Tytus Explains How to Make Telemedicine Appointments Stress-Free for Patients

As doctors throughout the world turn to telemedicine solutions to easily and safely treat patients remotely, it is imperative that these healthcare professionals work hard to make the virtual experience as positive as possible.

One way for medical clinics to do this is by focusing on how they can make online doctor's appointments feel 100% stress-free for all patients involved. Such a goal can be accomplished if a doctor and their clinical team can tailor their telemedicine service procedures and approaches accordingly.

Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc., has a great deal of experience treating patients in a virtual environment. Over time, he's come to learn that if a patient is stress-free entering an appointment, the better it'll be for them.

Thus, he recommends that medical clinics take these steps:

Educate the patients: Before a patient has their first online doctor's appointment, they need to have a basic understanding of a clinic's telemedicine solution. To do this, clinics should provide educational brochures or online resources explaining the virtual visit process, as well as information on what to expect once the online appointment begins

Choose an easy solution: If a medical clinic has a challenging telemedicine solution, this will make some patients apprehensive. Banty Virtual Clinic, in particular, was designed so that anyone would be able to easily log in for a virtual doctor's appointment. All they need to do is type in their doctor's unique Banty room address (i.e.,Banty.com/Dr.John) and they'll immediately be directed to their doctor. No complicated, auto generated links, or passwords exist with Banty Virtual Clinic

Maintain a consistent bedside manner: Even though the virtual visit experience will feel different for the doctor, they must conduct these appointments with the same bedside manner as they would in-person. Going from in-person appointments to virtual ones is already a big enough of an adjustment for some patients. The last thing they want at this stage is for their doctor-patient experience to be remarkably different just because it's now online

Be flexible if glitches occur: Especially as it relates to patients who are admittedly not tech savvy, doctors need to be flexible if these individuals experience technical difficulties. This means a willingness to lend a hand, or reschedule the appointment if getting back online in a timely fashion proves to be challenging. Such physician flexibility will certainly take the pressure off of patients

"Throughout my time using telemedicine solutions with patients, I have found that they react better to online appointments if the experience is easy and uncomplicated," adds Dr. Tytus. "When a patient participates in a stress-free online appointment, I find they have an easier time opening up and discussing the medical matters at hand."