Online consultation and telehealth
The patient books online, verifies identity, gives separate consent for camera and microphone, and waits for the physician in a waiting room. When the call ends, its duration, participants and connection events are attached to the visit record in the patient's file.
The patient prepares in a waiting room and the call starts when the physician admits them
A patient who books online verifies identity, reads the information about telehealth, and gives a separate consent for camera and microphone. They then enter the waiting room and test their device.
The clinical consultation does not start until the physician or a moderator admits the patient. The room opens with an unpredictable identifier, and the access right is short-lived and valid for one consultation and one role.
Telehealth carries different risks from an in-person visit: image and sound pass through devices, the patient may be at home, and someone else may be nearby. That is why consent is not buried in the general registration consent; it is written to the record separately, with its time and version.
From online booking to the visit record
A consultation is more than a video link. Verifying identity, obtaining consent, the physician admitting the patient and attaching the outcome to the clinical record are all part of one flow. If the connection drops during the call, reconnection and a phone or in-person continuation plan take over.
Attach to encounter and audit trail
The consultation attaches to the patient's encounter; duration, participants and connection events are written to the audit log.
- The process is complete here.
All steps
- 01 Online appointment (Patient) The patient picks the online appointment type; the slot comes from the physician's real calendar.
- 02 Identity check and separate consent (System) The patient's identity is verified; the remote-service notice and camera-microphone consent are obtained as separate actions.
- 03 Waiting room (Patient) The consultation does not start before the physician arrives. The patient runs the device test and waits.
- 04 Physician or moderator admits (Physician) The physician admits the patient. Access is for a single consultation and a single role.
- 05 Consultation (Physician) Encrypted audio and video; secure messaging and file sharing. Recording is off.
- 06 Ending (Physician) Either party ends the consultation; audio and video stop and the room closes.
- 07 Attach to encounter and audit trail (System) The consultation attaches to the patient's encounter; duration, participants and connection events are written to the audit log.
Alternative path from 05 Consultation; it returns to the main flow at 05 Consultation.
- 05a Connection lost (System) One party's connection dropped; the session stays open and the event is logged.
- 05b Reconnection (Patient) Participants reconnect to the same session; the short-lived access is renewed.
Alternative path from 05 Consultation; it returns to the main flow at 07 Attach to encounter and audit trail.
- 05a Continue by phone or in person (Physician) If reconnection fails, the physician applies the predefined continuation plan; the status is written to the encounter note.
07 Attach to encounter and audit trail
Identity, messages and participant roles are managed in HekimBis
Image and sound travel through a separate media layer, while identity, consent, messages, files and record management stay in HekimBis. Application, messaging and media servers are kept in Türkiye under the organization's control.
- Identity and two-step sign-in
- Patient and physician identity are verified before the call, accounts use two-step verification, and failed sign-ins are monitored. Predictable data such as an appointment number is never used as a room identifier.
- Secure messages and files
- Chat and file sharing happen in the same secure session; an uploaded file reaches the physician only after a malware scan. Patient name, diagnosis and the reason for the visit are not carried in notifications or links.
- Several participants and interpreters
- A second physician or an interpreter can be invited for a consultation. Each participant's role is defined and recorded.
If the connection drops, a three-step continuation plan applies
A consultation does not depend on a single video link. When there is an interruption, the physician's sequence of actions is set in advance and written to the visit record.
- 1
Reconnect
Participants rejoin the same session and the short-lived access right is renewed.
- 2
Continue by phone
If reconnection fails, the physician applies the predefined continuation plan and calls the patient.
- 3
Continue in person
If needed, an in-person appointment is scheduled and the situation is noted on the visit.
Audio and video recording is off by default
Recording a consultation is easy to do and hard to undo. The starting state is therefore “not recorded”.
- Both sides can see the status
- “Recording: off” is shown on the physician's screen and in the patient's waiting room.
- Turning it on needs separate consent
- If recording is judged clinically necessary, it starts with a separate information notice and the explicit consent of the parties.
- Storage and deletion
- A recording is stored encrypted with limited access and deleted permanently when its retention period ends. Access, download and deletion are written to the audit log.
- Further processing is enabled separately
- Transcription, AI processing, session replay and analytics are enabled one by one, after the data flow and sub-processor approval.
- What is attached to the visit
- When the call ends, its duration, participants and connection events are attached to the visit record. What is kept is the trail of the call, not its content.
For consultations that need no physical examination
Follow-up visits, result reviews, medication follow-up, psychological counseling and nutrition consultations are the natural territory of telehealth. The online appointment type is defined according to the clinic's authorized service areas; examinations or assessments that need equipment are scheduled in person.
Patients join from the clinic's patient portal and do not need to install an app. The final decision on suitability rests with the physician's clinical judgment.
Frequently asked questions
Does the patient have to install an app?
The consultation opens inside the clinic's patient portal. Camera and microphone permission is requested only when the patient joins the call.
Is the consultation recorded?
Recording is off by default. It can be turned on only with a separate information notice and explicit consent, together with a retention period and a deletion rule.
What happens if the connection drops?
Participants try to reconnect. If that fails, the physician applies the phone or in-person continuation plan, and the connection events are written to the visit record.
Can online consultations be offered in every specialty?
The online appointment type opens according to the clinic's authorized service areas. Examinations or assessments that need equipment are scheduled in person.
Can a prescription be prepared during the call?
A medication and prescription draft is prepared inside the visit record linked to the call.
Can a second physician or an interpreter join?
Yes. A second physician or an interpreter can be invited for a consultation; each participant's role is defined and recorded.
Which record is the consultation attached to?
It is attached to the visit record of the completed appointment. Duration, participants and connection events are written to the audit log.
Is video consultation charged separately?
Video minutes are one of the metered usage items. Capacity and unit price are set by the plan and add-on model; current information is on the pricing page.
Related pages
Features
Specialties
- PsychiatryValidated scale scores, serial tracking, sensitive note separation, medications.
- PsychologySession plans, goal cards, therapy packages, and privacy-focused notes.
- DietitianAnthropometric charts, nutrition plans, follow-up schedules, and packages.
- Hair transplantDonor maps, graft counts, multi-day protocols, and international patient cases.
Solutions and process
Software guides
Integrations
Guides
- Setting Up Remote Healthcare and Online Consultation SecurelyAn online consultation is more than a video call. How USBS registration, facility permit, identity verification, consent and record linkage work in remote healthcare.
- Medical Tourism Patient Journey Guide from First Contact to Post-Discharge Follow-UpAn international patient's journey has eight stages. The authorization requirement, pre-assessment, quotes in foreign currency, intermediaries, travel tasks and follow-up after returning home.