www.telehealth.net.au

www.telehealth.net.au

Telehealth TipsVideo conferencing without tears

Presented at;RMA- ACRRM Annual Conference 2011

Dr David AllenMBBS(Hons), DPH, FAFOEM(RACP)

Occupational and Environmental PhysicianQOH and Telehealth Solutions Australia

• Think of VC as an addition to telephone consultation – if video fails then you always have a phone

• Learn basic functionality• Practice, practice, practice• Familiarise with features in casual use • Check that the system works well a few hours before consult• Get consent

How to approach it

• Have a lamp behind your monitor to illuminate you• Door locked and sign outside • Background behind you should be simple and appropriate –

consider framed degrees or plain background• Position the video image on the screen near the webcam• Avoid interruptions (if possible)

Housekeeping

• Using the telephone rather than the video conference telephony (more stable)

• Explain to the patient the limitations of the connection - ?blame someone else

• Slow the visual examination down• Reduce frame rate in software or system• Be patient – consultation may take longer, but

remember the saving in travel time

Internet connection poor or variable?

• Think of how you do the consultation examination – imagine patient is in same room behind a glass partition – how would you “examine” them?

• Considering PTZ cam? – adds complexity and cost• Have spare/second webcam on desk to show

patient/GP/RN how to position it whilst online• Consider special devices later

How to examine the patient

Auscultation with digital stethscope

Ear exam with digital otoscope

ADSLADSL2Annex MCableSHDSL3G4G

Bandwidth considerations

Operating systemsProcessor speedsVideo acceleration

Hardware issues

david.allen@telehealth.net.au

02 98977699

Questions