Video consultation

What is a video consultation? 

Traditionally, patient care is based on face-to-face meetings. To date, this is undoubtedly the most effective form of care. However, in today’s developed and globalized world, major developments have begun in the field of telemedicine services, resulting in remote diagnostics and consultation in the last 10 years. Many millions of people use services like this worldwide. In Hungary, two websites, Weborvos (Web Doctor) and Webbeteg (Web Patient) were pioneers in this area, as these were the first sites where doctors answered patients’ questions via the Internet. Emineo Private Hospital cannot provide this written communication, but offers the opportunity of video consultation which in less severe cases may be an alternative to a personal doctor-patient appointment. 

The essence of the video consultation is that the doctor and the patient do not meet each other, but with the help of a smartphone or computer, they can discuss the patient’s complaints in a two-way video and audio connection and agree on further actions. In some cases, the patient’s problem can be treated in this way as the patient receives the necessary information, advice and suggestions. In other cases, however, it is good for both the patient and the doctor to make sure that the patient’s condition justifies further examinations or care recommended by the doctor. 

Who is video consultation recommended for?

We usually recommend this service to our patients who

• want reassurance about their health problem,
• are not sure whether their current symptoms necessarily require them to be present in person,
• can’t leave their home
• patients who have previously been treated in Emineo and a follow-up visit is due or need a prescription,
• want to ask for a second opinion or explanation about their existing disease.

However, in the situation caused by the Coronavirus, we also recommend it to those who

• simply “want to stay home” so as not to expose themselves to the risk of infection,
• themselves or their relatives in contact with them are at a particularly vulnerable age,
• could only come to our hospital by public transport and they do not want to risk it,
• live abroad or in the countryside.

How does video consulting work?

The process of video consultation is very simple.

First, the patient needs to register to Emineo Private Hospital. This may be done in two ways:

Online:

• The patient selects the clinic or doctor on emineo.hu and uses the online registration function to select the appropriate time for the video consultation.
• By booking the time, the patient provides his/her own data and the information required for billing. A relative can also create a reservation on behalf of the patient and can pay instead. Thus, relatives less familiar with today’s Internet opportunities can also access this service.
• This is followed by paying for the service with a credit card.
• We will send a confirmation email about successful booking with booking and patient details as well as some useful information about the service.

By phone:

• The patient calls the central phone number of Emineo (+36 1 773 3333) and our receptionist colleague helps them select the right doctor and time. After providing their data, our colleague will book an appointment.
• We will send a confirmation email about successful booking with booking and patient details as well as some useful information about the service. This letter will contain a link that the patient – or a relative who orders the service – can click to finalize the booking and then make the credit card payment.

What needs to be done in the pre-consultation period?

If the patient has previous relevant documents related to their illness (discharge summary, outpatient treatment sheet, findings, x-ray , etc.), they need to upload them by clicking on the link provided in the confirmation email. Please upload these documents as soon as possible, giving the doctor time and opportunity to review.

How is the consultation done?

• The patient will receive a reminder email 30 minutes before the consultation so that they don’t accidentally forget the appointment and can prepare.
• The consultation is initiated by the doctor at the specified time. The patient will then also receive another email and a text message. Both contain the same link and all the patient has to do is click on the link to start the consultation.
• At the end of the consultation, either party may terminate the conversation.

What happens after the consultation?

1. Emineo Private Hospital will electronically send an invoice for the service fee already paid to the email address provided.
2. If the doctor has written a prescription, the patient can obtain it in two ways:

• It can be picked up by the patient or a relative at the hospital reception.
• By courier in Budapest, by post to the countryside.

How long is, and how much does a video consultation cost?

The duration of the consultation varies from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of specialty. If required, the system can handle minor delays. The service can be used at the same price on weekdays and weekends, which is HUF 20,000 for the first consultation and HUF 10,000 for follow-up consultation. If during the video consultation it is decided that the patient needs to visit the Hospital for further examination, this will of course be billed as a follow-up consultation. In this case , we ask our patients to order the much cheaper follow-up consultation on our website if they order it online, or to notify our colleague by phone.

Why is this recommended video consultation special?

• It is extremely simple and easy to use! It does not require any prior IT training on behalf of the patients.
• We do not use free communication solutions, the installation and management of which (often using an English language interface) may cause problems for patients. We have developed the simplest possible solution so that as many people as possible can use our service without any problems.
• By excluding the use of free systems, we avoid that our patients’ video and audio information is sent to, stored on, or used on foreign servers that do not necessarily comply with data protection (GDPR) rules. Our system is a secure, purpose-built solution implemented with the help of a young and vibrant Startup company called Medicall.