Some patients have difficulty travelling to my office for consultations. Common problems include lack of physical mobility, transportation issues, lack of time during office hours and living far from my office. Other patients simply desire the added convenience of having their consultation from the comfort of home. Whatever your reasons, I am happy to accommodate you with distance consultations via Skype for both new and return visits or over the phone for return visits only.
You must have a reasonably modern computer that includes a webcam and a broadband internet connection for a new patient distance consultation. http://www.ehow.com/about_5124104_skype-hardware-requirements.html has additional information on what your computer needs for Skype calls. Skype consultations done over your computer have no long-distance charges. You can download the Skype program at http://www.skype.com.
Distance consultations are scheduled in advance. I send your paperwork, via email, fax or standard mail for you to return it at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled consultation. At your scheduled appointment time, I will call and walk you briefly through the Skype connection process. Once we are connected via our webcams, we will continue our face-to-face consultation via Skype. If you are “technologically challenged”, you may want to have a friend or family member who is handy with a computer present at your home, or go to theirs for the consultation in case you need computer assistance.
If your distance appointment is a medical marijuana evaluation or renewal, your medical marijuana recommendation will be mailed to you the same or next business day. Rush delivery is available for an additional fee.