The search for online doctors in Nigeria has skyrocketed since the Covid19 pandemic and it keeps increasing despite life in many places almost returning to normal. If you are wondering how to start providing online consultations from home, this post will give you all the details you need to get started. 

The use of virtual care has proven to be everyone’s closest friend in this era of advanced technology. Doctors aim to provide satisfactory healthcare to patients, while patients want to receive the best care and outcomes while maintaining the highest level of comfort.

The COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors, has caused significant changes in the world of medicine, making telemedicine more accessible than ever, and it seems it is here to stay. Today, we will be sharing what an online doctor is and the steps healthcare providers can use to transition to an online doctor. But first, let’s understand a few terms. 

Telemedicine: The use of technology to diagnose and treat patients in a distant location, making it feasible for clinicians and patients to converse virtually anytime, wherever they need to. 

Virtual visit: A virtual visit with a provider, commonly referred to as telehealth, takes place in real-time online. In situations where an in-person visit may not be feasible or convenient, virtual visits offer an extra option for seeing a physician.

Remote patient monitoring: RPM, in its most basic form, entails the use of networked electronic instruments to record patient health and medical information in one place, which is then examined by a practitioner in another location. 

Why Is the Demand for Online Doctors in Nigeria Increasing?

Being an online doctor can be especially useful for virtual consultations, managing medication, follow-up appointments, providing care to those in distant locations, health screenings, and so on.  

As a healthcare provider in Nigeria or elsewhere, you are probably asking, “What do I need to get started?” For starters, I’ll give you a few tips. 

• A compatible computer, tablet, or smartphone with clear access to a video camera.
• A Quiet Location With Good Lighting so as to avoid distractions during your medical session.
• An app or programme you as a provider will use to connect to your patients (I recommend doing extensive research and a proper test run of this app or software).
• And of course,  high-speed internet connection.

It seems pretty easy, right? That’s because it actually is, a lot of people don’t just know it. There are numerous apps and software programs that are now being used for telemedicine. 

Online doctor platforms such as NextTech Patient Portal, Hyella Healthcare, Patient Pop, OsiriX HD, Talkspace, Life Image, Spire Health Tag, and so many more. 

Steps to Get Started with Online Consultation in Nigeria

The following recommendations will help you prepare for your virtual visit and make it as successful as possible:

1. Make sure you have all the information you need on your patient. For example, for follow-up consultation or a lab result collection having collected the samples prior to the virtual consultation. That way, the provider can have it in hand and can review it prior to the visit. By doing this, you can shorten the call and direct attention to the crucial elements of treating your patient’s condition.
2. Like you would for any other appointment, get ready. As you would for any medical consultation, you should take a moment to write down any questions you have or any symptoms you wish to discuss before a virtual visit.
3. Check all of your equipment again. Check to make sure that any hospital equipment relevant to that session is optimized and ready to be used.
4. Concentrate on the session. Eliminate disruptions and distractions throughout the virtual appointment, just as you would in person, and give your patient your full focus. Turn off the alerts on your phone and close any apps that can be noisy or distracting.

For your patients, make sure all relevant paperwork is filled out as per hospital protocols so as to allow a seamless process of hospital activities and documentation. 

How to Become an Online Doctor in Nigeria in 10 Easy Steps

A 10-step guide for doctors and other specialists to offer their services online/virtually

1. From the Important Working Alliances. It could be Clinical Champions, Regional Support, or even Technology Partners.
2. Research and select the system’s Platform you will be using to deliver your hospital services.
3. Start small and build your way up.
4. Prepare carefully the online consultation form for your patients interested in this service.
5. Determine the e-consultation system’s workflow since, in order to secure participation, it is crucial that it integrate as easily as possible with the physician’s regular workflow.
6. As the success of e-consultation will ultimately depend on physician engagement, keep it simple. Keeping the joining, training, and ongoing support components of physician engagement.
7. Ensure Privacy and Security Requirements Are Met.
8. Establish Payment and Liability Aspects.
9. Include ongoing, high-quality feedback.
10. Sit back and enjoy providing comfortable and accessible healthcare to your patients. 

There are numerous critical steps to take in order to become technically oriented in the healthcare industry. Learning about online consulting is one of the steps to becoming an online doctor.

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