Initiating a Telehealth Call with a Patient

SigmaMD allows you to securely connect with patients via telehealth. Televisits can be initiated directly from the patient’s chart for follow-ups or urgent concerns, providing a simple and reliable way to deliver care remotely. The steps below explain how to start a televisit and ensure a smooth experience for both you and the patient.

1. Start the Call

• From the Patient Chart, click the ‘Start call’ button located in the bottom left to initiate a video call.

• Ensure your browser is set up correctly to handle video calls. This guide helps you check and update your browser permissions to facilitate a smooth video call experience.
• After confirming the settings, click 'Start'.

2. Patient Notification

• Your patient will be alerted through SMS with instructions. 
  • If the SigmaMD Patient app is not installed, they can use the link in the SMS to download it from the app store and connect to the call conveniently.
• The call will remain active for up to 3 minutes as you wait for your patient to join. If the patient is unable to join within this time frame, the call will automatically terminate, and you will need to initiate a new call.

3. Conducting the Call

• As soon as the patient joins the call, you will enter the video consultation screen, and you can begin the session.
• To end the call, click on the red button.

Best Practice

To avoid patient confusion, use the Note to patient field in the Appointment Type settings to clearly explain how the video visit will begin. For example:

Your clinician will message you when they’re ready to start the visit. Please reply to confirm you’re ready. Once confirmed, the clinician will start the video call and you’ll receive the join link by email and SMS.