Information for Clients
Video Consultations - A guide for clients
This guide shows what to expect from a video consultation as a client. If you're a clinician, feel free to share this guide with your clients before their video consultation! You could even add it as a link to your confirmation and reminder messages! If you're a patient, before we get started, you will need a device with a webcam to be able to attend a video consultation. It can be any device with both an internet connection and a webcam, like a laptop, PC, tablet or even a mobile phone. YouPopularTroubleshooting your video consultation - for Clients
This guide should help you with any issues you may come across when trying to access your video consultation. I can't join my video consultation To allow you to join your video consultation, your clinician will have provided you with a secure access link, most likely wiFew readers
Video Consultation Appointments
Changing existing appointments to video consultations
If you have been using an external video service like Skype to provide your patients with remote consultations, this article is designed to help you get these switched over to use the embedded video consultation functionality within WriteUpp. It will be a manual process, but hopefully it will be short term pain for long term gain! First of all, make sure you have set up your video appointment types, and configurSome readersCreating video appointment types
To host video consultations within WriteUpp, you first need to create specific appointment types that are used to book video consultations into your diary. Defining these appointment types as Video will tell WriteUpp to generate and save the unique video access link against the appointment at the time of booking.Few readersVideo Consultations and online booking
If you use online booking, you can make your video consultations available to clients to book online. Allowing clients to book directly into your WriteUpp diary eliminates the need for them to contact you to book appointments and therefore reduces the time you spend on appointment admin.Few readersBooking video consultations into your diary
If you've created your video appointment types, and set up your confirmations and reminders, you're ready to start booking video appointments to provide your clients with a virtual service they can access from anywhere on any device! Video appointments are booked into your diary in exactly the same way as a standard appointment would be, via both the desktop site and the app. If you use online booking, you can also make video consultations available to allow clients to book them directly, morFew readersThe benefits of Video Consultation
Video Consultations and the ability to connect remotely to your patients has been thrust firmly into the spotlight over the past few years. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns drastically changed the way many clinicians needed to work, and quickly at that. Our fully integrated video consultation technology uses one-time, secure connections hosted fully within WriteUpp, offering you the control and prFew readersBooking a recurring video consultation
If you use the 'Recurrence?' function within the appointment modal to book a series of appointments for a client at regular intervals, you can also use this when booking a video appointment. For example, if following an initial video session, you agree appointments with your client for the same date and time for the next 4 weeks, you can quickly and easily book this sequence of appointments all in one, rather than individually. If you use this function to book a series of appointments, asFew readers
Security for Video Consultations
Enhanced security for video consultations - Two factor authentication
We know that security and peace of mind is important when it comes to communicating with your clients, either digitally or face to face. Using WriteUpp's video consultation platform, you have the option to turn on two factor authentication when a patient joins their appointment. Much like the way in which direct messages and smart forms are sent, this adds an extra layer of security to the consultation. If you choose to use this optional setting, your patients will be sent an SMS message whenFew readersVideo consultations and security
WriteUpp's integrated video consultation platform is designed to provide you with a simple, secure way of conducting video calls. It uses a server based connection to facilitate browser to browser communcation. This allows real time media communication between browsers and allows those communication to take place using webpages. For both you and your clients, this means there's no software to download, nothing to log into, and you don't need to share any external credentials, like Skype, ZoomFew readers
Communications for Video Consultations
Creating a confirmation for a video consultation
Setting up a confirmation of a video consultation allows you to confirm the details of the appointment and automatically provide your client with their secure video access link, all in one message! Saving you the time it would take to provide this manually to a client, they simply have to click on the link at the specified time to join you in the online "room". We have provided a default template for you to use when confirming a video consultation, for both SMS and email. You can of course mFew readersAn overview of Video consultation communications
When setting up video consultations, you'll also need to configure specific communications, like confirmations and reminders, to be sent to clients which contain the video access link. This unique one-time link is automatically generated when you book a video appointment, and allows the client to join the video room when clicked. Each message will need to contain the variable Next app video or Next app video link which will capture and insert the link specific to an appointment into thFew readersCreating a reminder for a video consultation
Sending out appointment reminders can be a great way to combat your DNA rate, and a reminder of a video consultation is no exception! In addition to containing the appointment details as a reminder to your client, you can also include the video access link for them. Just like in a confirmation message, they simply need to click on the link at the specified time. We have provided a default template for you to use when sending a reminder of a video consultation, for both SMS and email. You canFew readersCreating a confirmation for a video consultation booked via Online Booking
If you use online booking and you'd like to allow your clients to book their own video consultations via your select+book site, you'll need to set up a separate confirmation to be sent when a video consultation is booked via this pathway. As with an appointment you book yourself within WriteUpp, this confirmation allows you to confirm the details of the appointment and automatically provide your client with their secure video access link. Confirmations of online bookings are handled separatelFew readersCreating a confirmation for a recurring video consultation
Setting up a confirmation of a recurring video consultation is handled separately from confirming a single video appointment. This allows you to provide additional information on a recurring series of appointments, confirm the details of the appointment and automatically provide your client with their secure video access link, all in one message! Saving you the time it would take to provide this maFew readers
Setting up Video Consultations
How can I conduct video consultations?
WriteUpp comes complete with an integrated video consultation platform, where you can: Book sessions directly from the diary Automate confirmations and reminders to provide your clients with their access link See when clients have arrived for their online consultation Allow your clients to pre-pay & book online 24/7 With no need to exchange Skype/Zoom details with clients and no data shared with third parties! Everything you need to know cPopularPurchasing video minutes
To be able to conduct video consultations securely through WriteUpp, you will need to purchase video minutes. If you are a multi-user practice, the video minutes you purchase will be available site wide, but can only be topped up by a site administrator. Each video minute individually costs just 1p and can be purchased in bundles of the following amounts: 300 minutes - £3 + VAT 600 minutes - £6 + VAT 1000 minutes - £10 + VAT 2000 minutes - £20 + VAT 5000 minutes - £50 + VAT Minutes can be purSome readersVideo Consultation browser and operating system requirements
Browser support When using the video consultation platform via WriteUpp, the following browsers are supported. The most recent and the two previous versions of each browser will be supported, so please make sure you keep your browser up to date for the best possible experience! For example, if the most up to date version of Google Chrome is 81, versions 79, 80 and 81 will be supported. Guidance on updating the 4 most common browsers can be found below: Safari (https://support.appSome readersGetting started with Video Consultations
Video consultations are designed to provide you with a simple, secure way of conducting video calls with your clients, from anywhere, on any device. Fully embedded within WriteUpp, it offers a whole host of benefits to both you and your clients, with no need for any additional software or logins. This guide will give you an overview of how to get video consultations up and running within WriteUpp. Split into aFew readersEquipment 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 anFew readersManaging your availability for video consultations
If you intend to conduct video consultations at certain times, there are a couple of things you can do to define this. This is particularly useful if you use online booking, as it ensures clients can only book a video consultation at those times. They are: Set up a location called Video Consultations or something similar Link your video consultation appointment types to the above location Timetable your diary to add the Video Consultation location at the times you intend to offer iFew readers
Troubleshooting for Video Consultations
Troubleshooting for browsers
Below you can find links to articles containing troubleshooting information on 4 of the most common internet browsers. These articles cover checking camera and microphone permissions, enabling pop-ups and viewing any extensions you have installed on your browser. Safari Chrome Microsoft Edge (httpPopularTroubleshooting video consultations on Chrome
If you're having issues with video consultations on Chrome, this article will take you through some things to check. Setting camera and microphone permissions The video consultation platform needs access to your camera and microphone so your patient can see and hear you (and vice versa!). When using Chrome for a video session, you'll need to allow access to both of these to allow the connection to be made. To check your camera and microphone permissions on a laptop or PC, open the meSome readersTroubleshooting video consultations on Safari
If you're having issues with video consultations on Safari, this article will take you through some things to check. Setting camera and microphone permissions The video consultation platform needs access to your camera and microphone so your patient can see and hear you (and vice versa!). When using Safari for a video session, you'll need to allow access to both of these to allow the connection to be made. To check your camera and microphone permissions on a laptop or desktop PC, cliFew readersTroubleshooting during a video consultation
We've tried to make video consultations robust and easy to use for both clinicians and clients, but as with all technology, sometimes problems can arise. This guide is designed to help you work through any performance issues you experience during a video consultation. General issues What brFew readersTroubleshooting video consultations on Microsoft Edge
If you're having issues with video consultations on Microsoft Edge, this article will take you through some things to check. Setting camera and microphone permissions The video consultation platform needs access to your camera and microphone so your patient can see and hear you (and vice versa!). When using Edge for a video session, you'll need to allow access to both of these to allow the connection to be made. To check your camera and microphone permissions on a laptop or PC, clickFew readersTroubleshooting video consultations on Firefox
If you are having issues with video consultations on Firefox, this article will take you through some things to check. Setting camera and microphone permissions The video consultation platform needs access to your camera and microphone, so your patient can see and hear you (and vice versa!). When using Firefox for a video session, you will need to allow access to both of these to allow the connection to be made. Laptop or PC: To check your camera and microphone permissions onFew readersTroubleshooting your video consultation setup
This guide should help you with any issues when you are setting up your video consultations or preparing for a call. It might also be useful as a checklist to work though if you are testing the process! Issues with accessing video consultations from your diary Have you created video appointment types? (https://help.writeupp.Few readers
Before the Call
How patients access a video consultation
When arranging a video consultation via WriteUpp, your patients will access their session by using a secure, one time access link which will take them to an online "room" in which the appointment will take place. There's nothing to download or log into and it can be accessed on any device simply by clicking on the link you provide them. The access link is generated and linked to an appointment at the time it is booked, and remains linked throughout any changes you make to the appointment unFew readersStarting a video consultation
Test it yourself! Before using video consultations with a patient for the first time, we'd recommend trying it out with a test patient as a practice run. This will allow you to get a feel for the new screens, check your browser settings and allow your browser access to your camera and microphone. When it comes to the start time of a video consultation, it's really easy to start the session from thFew readersManually sending a video link to a patient
The most effective way of providing your patients with their secure video access link is to use the automated appointment communications that WriteUpp can send for you. There might however be times when you need to provide the access link for a patient, for example if they accidentally delete the email containing the link, or if they provide an incorrect email address and therefore don't receiveFew readersPreparing for a Video Consultation
Test it yourself! Before using video consultations with a patient for the first time, we'd recommend trying it out with a test patient as a practice run. This will allow you to get a feel for the new screens, check your browser settings and allow your browser access to your camera and microphone. Once a video consultation has been booked into your diary, you'll have access to the 'Switch to Video' icon at the top right of the appointment modal when you open the appointment: (https://stoFew readers
During the Call
During a Video Consultation
Once you've started the video consultation, you'll have various controls available to you within the session. The clients video feed will appear on your screen, replacing the logo placeholder that is displayed when you open the video consultation while the connection is made to their browser. Your own video feed will appear as a small rectangle to the top right. You'll also see: The appointment details, within an expandable dropdown (httpsSome readersSharing your screen during a video consultation
When conducting a video consultation through WriteUpp, you have the ability to share your screen. Screen sharing is available when using a laptop or a desktop computer, and can only be initiated by you, the clinician. Clients won't see the screen share icon and won't be able to share their screen with you.Few readersConcluding a Video Consultation
Just like starting a video consultation, it's really easy to conclude a session once it's complete. Simply click on the hang up icon: And confirm that you want to end the call: If you're not quite ready to end the call, click Cancel to carry on where you left off,Few readers