In conjunction with the thorough collection of a patient’s medical history, many health care providers feel that the information they can obtain from a video visit is sufficient for the accurate diagnosis of many conditions.
Many in-person physical exams can be done remotely. Even without being physically present with the patient, you can still visually assess general distress, skin tone, clarity of thought and speech, respiratory rate, work of breathing, walk, and more. Additionally, you can also have the patient assist in a physical exam during a virtual consultation by having them follow your instructions to palpate areas of tenderness, assist in moving the camera to visualize areas such as the oropharynx, and assist in abdominal self-exams.
