Interacting with patients while they are in their familiar home surroundings is much more common today than it was 2 years ago. In fact, 70% of patients have the option for a telehealth visit as a criterion for selecting a primary care provider. The most common home telehealth encounter is done using videoconferencing technology. Most commonly, the provider (or their staff) who has scheduled the meeting emails a link to the electronic meeting platform to the patient. A tablet, smartphone, laptop or desktop computer can be used, but only if it has a camera. In the true sense of the word, the encounter is often a meeting and not an assessment. However, in general, the purpose of the encounter is to assess the condition of the patient. There is a greater emphasis on using the visual capabilities of the camera and the skills of the provider to transform the meeting to into an assessment as necessary.
