How to Prepare for an Online Doctor Visit: Photos, Reports and What to Say

Status: Pending Qualified Medical Review. This article has not yet been reviewed by a qualified medical professional.

In an online consultation, the doctor cannot touch, listen to your chest, or see you walk into the room. What they can do is read your words, look at your photos and reports, and ask questions. So the quality of what you share has a big effect on the quality of the advice you get.

Bangladesh's DGHS National Telehealth Guideline notes that a provider must be satisfied that a patient is suitable for a telemedicine interaction, and that if technical limitations mean minimum standards can't be met, the consultation should be stopped and rescheduled or moved to another method. Good preparation helps your doctor make that judgement — and help you safely.

This guide shows how to prepare for an online doctor visit and goes deeper than a basic checklist. It shows how to describe symptoms, how to photograph a rash or report, and what to prepare for common problems.

New to online consultations? Start with our guide How to Consult a Doctor Online in Bangladesh for the step-by-step process, then come back here to prepare.

First: Is This Safe to Handle Online?

Before preparing anything, check this is not an emergency. Call 999 or go to hospital for:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Sudden weakness of face, arm or leg, or trouble speaking
• Severe difficulty breathing
• Fainting, seizure or confusion
• Heavy bleeding, or vomiting blood
• Dengue warning signs: severe belly pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding gums or nose
• A baby or child who is floppy, very drowsy, or not feeding

Step 1: Write Your Main Problem in One Line

Doctors often start with "What brings you here today?" Have a short answer ready:

• ❌ "I'm not feeling well."
• ✅ "Fever for 3 days, highest 102°F, with body pain and pain behind the eyes."
• ✅ "Itchy red rash on both inner thighs for 2 weeks, spreading."
• ✅ "My father's BP has been 150–160/95 for a week on his current medicine."

Step 2: Tell the Story — The "When, Where, What, How" Method

Use these prompts to describe any symptom:

Voice messages are fine if writing is hard — speak slowly and include these points.

Step 3: Gather Your Key Health Information

Have this ready for every consultation:

• Patient's full name, age, sex
• Weight (essential for children's medicine doses)
• Long-term conditions — diabetes, BP, asthma, thyroid, kidney or heart disease
• All current medicines — names, strength, how often (photograph the strips or boxes)
• Allergies — especially to medicines
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Recent hospital stays or surgery
• Smoking or tobacco use

The BM&DC telemedicine guideline says doctors must ask the patient's age before prescribing, and a minor may only be consulted with an identified adult present. If the patient is a child, the parent or guardian must be there.

Step 4: Take Photos a Doctor Can Actually Use

For skin problems (rash, wound, swelling)

• Use natural daylight, near a window, no flash if possible
• Take one close-up and one from further away to show location
• Put a coin or ruler beside it for size
• Keep the camera steady and in focus
• Photograph all affected areas
• If it's changing, take photos on different days

For reports and prescriptions

• Lay the paper flat on a dark surface
• Make sure all four corners are visible
• Avoid shadows and glare
• Check that numbers, units and the reference range are readable
• Include the date and patient name
• Send older reports too — trends help (for example, several CBCs during dengue)

For medicines

• Photograph the front and back of the strip or box, showing the name and strength

Privacy

Only share photos through the consultation platform, not on public social media. The DGHS telehealth guideline requires apps to protect the privacy and confidentiality of patient data.

Step 5: Measure What You Can at Home

Numbers help a lot. If you have the equipment:

• Temperature with a digital thermometer — write the time of each reading
• Blood pressure — two readings, 1 minute apart, after 5 minutes' rest
• Blood sugar with a glucometer, noting if fasting or after food
• Weight
• Pulse — count beats for 30 seconds and double it

Checklists by Common Problem

Fever

• Days of fever, highest reading, fever chart
• Cough, rash, urine changes, diarrhoea, pain behind the eyes
• Medicines taken and times
• Any CBC/NS1 reports

Skin rash

• Photos (see above)
• Itchy or painful? Spreading?
• Creams already used (photograph the tubes)
• Anyone else at home with the same rash?

Report review (CBC, HbA1c, thyroid, lipid)

See also CBC report explained.

• Clear photos of the full report
• Why the test was done
• Current medicines and symptoms

Chronic condition follow-up (BP, diabetes, asthma)

• Home readings for the past week or more
• Current medicines and doses
• Side effects, missed doses
• Last prescription

Child health

• Child's age and weight
• Feeding, wet nappies/urine, activity level
• Temperature chart, medicines given (name, dose, time)
• Vaccination record if relevant

Stomach problems

• Number of loose stools or vomits
• Blood in stool or vomit?
• Fluid intake and urine output
• Food eaten before it started

Step 6: Prepare Your Questions

Write down 2–4 questions, such as:

• "What do you think is causing this?"
• "Do I need any tests?"
• "What warning signs should make me go to hospital?"
• "When should I follow up?"
• "Can I continue my other medicines?"

Step 7: Technical Set-Up

• Charge your phone and check internet signal
• Find a quiet, private place
• Keep reports and medicines within reach
• If the doctor starts a voice or video call, be ready to answer — in good light for video
• Have pen and paper to note advice

After the Consultation

• Read the advice and any prescription carefully (see digital prescription in Bangladesh) — name, dose, frequency, duration
• Download or screenshot the prescription
• Ask if anything is unclear
• Follow warning-sign advice — know when to go to hospital
• Book a follow-up if advised

Example

Ruma, 41, consults about a rash on her neck. She sends three daylight photos (close, medium and far), a photo of the cream she has used for a week, and a short note: "Itchy rash for 10 days, started small and is spreading, worse after sweating. No fever. My son has a similar patch." With this information, the doctor can quickly suggest a likely cause and treatment plan — and ask for a follow-up photo in two weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I prepare for an online doctor consultation?

Your main problem, a timeline, current medicines, allergies, measurements, and clear photos of rashes or reports.

How do I take a good photo for a doctor?

Use daylight, take a close-up and a wider shot, keep it in focus, and add a coin for size.

Can a child have an online consultation?

Yes, with an identified adult present, as required by BM&DC guidelines.

What if my internet is poor?

Text and photos may still work. If minimum standards can't be met, the DGHS guideline says the consultation should be rescheduled or moved to another method.

Should I send all my old reports?

Send relevant recent reports and any older ones that show trends.

Ready to Consult? Use ShifaMate

On ShifaMate, you can browse verified doctors' profiles, qualifications and fees, then continue in the app. Share your concern by text, photos and voice messages; the doctor can start a voice or video call when needed. If your doctor is offline, you can book their next available time. You can also browse ShifaMate doctors.

ShifaMate is not an emergency service.

References

• Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). National Telehealth Guideline for Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council. Telemedicine Guidelines (July 2020)
• NHS. Blood pressure test

This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a qualified doctor.