Given the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic situation, one of the steps taken to minimise the risk of infection is the introduction of video consultation for selected patients to replace face-to-face consultation at the hospital.

Our healthcare professionals will assess the medical condition of patients in consideration of the possibility of offering video consultation services. Patients with an appointment scheduled for a face-to-face consultation at the hospital, who have not been contacted by the hospital about conversion to video consultation should keep to their scheduled appointment at the hospital.

To enable video consultation to take place, patients will need a computer, smartphone or tablet equipped with a microphone and web camera. The Zoom application used to facilitate the video consultation will need to be downloaded and an account created ahead of the video consultation. Please click on the user guide for a step-by-step guide on how to install Zoom.

As with face-to-face consultation, patient confidentiality will be maintained at all times for the video consultation. Patients who have been identified for video consultation should observe the following:

Prior to Video Consultation

Patient consent for a video consultation appointment will be sought.

Patients who have been identified and scheduled for video consultation will receive a short message service (SMS) text with the details of the outpatient appointment, sent to their mobile phone number registered with the hospital.

On the Day of the Video Consultation

Things to Remember

• Seek medical attention at the nearest polyclinic, general practitioner (GP) clinic or Emergency Department if the patient feels unwell before the scheduled video consultation.
• Be punctual for and keep to the scheduled appointment time for the video consultation session. A replacement appointment may need to be arranged if the scheduled appointment is not met.
• The video consultation is strictly an interaction between the patient and their attending healthcare professional and would not be recorded.
• Patient confidentiality will be maintained at all times. The video consultation is an interaction between the patient and their attending healthcare professional, and will not be recorded by the hospital. Similarly, patients should refrain from recording the video consultation.

Tips for a Good Video Consultation Session

• Find a quiet location with a quiet environment, and use headphones or an earpiece for better audio quality.
• Ensure that the location has good lighting.
• If a tablet / smartphone is being used for the video consultation session, please ensure the device is propped up securely for image stability.
• Use a stable, secure source of Wi-Fi or network connection. If the patient is disconnected from the session, try the following:

If the patient is still not able to connect to the session after trying the steps above, the healthcare professional or patient service associate (PSA) will call the patient to provide further assistance.

After the Video Consultation Session

• Information on the patient's follow-up appointment will be sent via SMS.
• Any digital Medical Certificate (MC) issued will be sent via SMS.
• Place medication order in the Health Buddy app (go to "Medicines" > "Deliver/ Collect My Medicines"). Please inform the healthcare professional if there is a need to top-up the medication.
• Make payment for the consultation via the Health Buddy app. An SMS text will be sent at 8.00pm on the same day with the payment details, and the original tax invoice will be sent via post.
• The video consultation will be billed in accordance to the arrangements from the patient's prior visit to CGH (e.g., medical benefit card or MediSave). Please inform the healthcare professional if an alternative billing arrangement is preferred.
• Share feedback on the telehealth experience by filling up the form sent via SMS.