Equipment required for Video Consultations
Video consultations through WriteUpp are easy to use. They don't require any downloads or external logins and can be accessed on any device with audio and video capabilities and a steady internet connection. These days, almost every laptop, tablet and mobile comes with a built-in microphone and camera, so it's likely that you'll already have most of what you need! All you need is for your clients to hear and see you (and vice versa!), so there's no requirement for fancy external microphones and webcams, unless you'd like to use them!
Video consultations are not supported on Internet Explorer. Read more about the browser requirements for video consultation here.
Just like you, your clients need a device with audio and video capabilities and a decent internet connection. A laptop, tablet or smartphone will do just fine!
There are some other things you might like to consider when planning and scheduling your video consultations:
You'll need a stable internet connection in order to give your clients the best possible experience of video consultations. Is there a particularly good WiFi spot? Claim it! If you're on a laptop and usually use WiFi, can you connect to your router with an ethernet cable to get the best signal? Failing that, if you're having issues with WiFi or are working from a mobile device, 3G/4G should work just fine, although the stronger the connection the better. Generally a speed of more than 10mbps will be best. An internet speed of less than 10mbps might lead to a less than optimal experience for both parties.
A blurry video feed, the images freezing and poor quality sound can indicate a weak signal at either end.
If you're working from a phone, laptop or tablet, make sure your battery is sufficiently charged or you're near to a power source and have a charger plugged in and waiting. The last thing you want is to be scrambling around for a charger halfway through a call, or worse, disconnected because your battery is dead!
Make sure you think about where you're going to conduct your video consultations from, and identify the best place to sit within that environment. You don't want to take the patients focus away from the session, so somewhere with minimal distractions in the background would be ideal.
Lighting can affect the picture you see on a webcam, so try to find somewhere with a good source of light, be that from a window or a lamp or ceiling light. An area with very little light will lead to a dark video feed and make it hard for your patient to see you.
Obviously, this is a bit harder at the time of writing, as many of us get used to working from home a lot more, often with children around! But if possible, to ensure the consultation is a smooth as possible for both you and your patients, it's best to try to eliminate any additional background noise as much as you possibly can. If you're in an environment where some noise is likely, you might want to consider investing in a headset with microphone, which may help to reduce the background noise they hear during the call
Video consultations are not supported on Internet Explorer. Read more about the browser requirements for video consultation here.
What do my clients need?
Just like you, your clients need a device with audio and video capabilities and a decent internet connection. A laptop, tablet or smartphone will do just fine!
There are some other things you might like to consider when planning and scheduling your video consultations:
How is your internet connection?
You'll need a stable internet connection in order to give your clients the best possible experience of video consultations. Is there a particularly good WiFi spot? Claim it! If you're on a laptop and usually use WiFi, can you connect to your router with an ethernet cable to get the best signal? Failing that, if you're having issues with WiFi or are working from a mobile device, 3G/4G should work just fine, although the stronger the connection the better. Generally a speed of more than 10mbps will be best. An internet speed of less than 10mbps might lead to a less than optimal experience for both parties.
A blurry video feed, the images freezing and poor quality sound can indicate a weak signal at either end.
Are you charged up?
If you're working from a phone, laptop or tablet, make sure your battery is sufficiently charged or you're near to a power source and have a charger plugged in and waiting. The last thing you want is to be scrambling around for a charger halfway through a call, or worse, disconnected because your battery is dead!
Think about your background
Make sure you think about where you're going to conduct your video consultations from, and identify the best place to sit within that environment. You don't want to take the patients focus away from the session, so somewhere with minimal distractions in the background would be ideal.
What about your lighting?
Lighting can affect the picture you see on a webcam, so try to find somewhere with a good source of light, be that from a window or a lamp or ceiling light. An area with very little light will lead to a dark video feed and make it hard for your patient to see you.
Can you control the background noise?
Obviously, this is a bit harder at the time of writing, as many of us get used to working from home a lot more, often with children around! But if possible, to ensure the consultation is a smooth as possible for both you and your patients, it's best to try to eliminate any additional background noise as much as you possibly can. If you're in an environment where some noise is likely, you might want to consider investing in a headset with microphone, which may help to reduce the background noise they hear during the call
Updated on: 17/06/2022
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