Using Telafia · 3 min read · Updated October 2026
What to expect from your first video consultation
How to prepare, what the doctor can and cannot do remotely, and how to get the most from your call.
Clinician review pending This article is awaiting sign-off by a doctor.
A video or audio consultation is a real medical appointment. The doctor takes your history, asks questions, may ask you to show something on camera, and gives advice, a prescription or a referral, exactly as in a clinic.
Before the call
Find a quiet, private place with a good signal. Charge your phone. Write down your symptoms, when they started, any medicines you take (have the packets to hand), and your questions. If you have a thermometer, blood pressure monitor or recent test results, have them ready. Join a minute or two early.
During the call
Calls start as audio to save data; you can turn on video if your connection allows. Speak plainly about what worries you most. If the connection drops, rejoin from your Appointments page; the doctor will wait.
What can be done remotely
Most everyday illnesses, follow-ups for long-term conditions, mental health support, skin problems (with photos), medication reviews, interpreting test results, and deciding whether you need to go to a clinic at all.
What cannot
A doctor cannot examine you physically, give injections, or treat emergencies by video. Controlled medicines cannot be prescribed remotely. If the doctor says you need to be seen in person, that advice is part of good care, not a failure of the call.
After the call
Your notes and any prescription appear under Record on your Appointments page. Prescriptions can be taken to any licensed pharmacy. If anything gets worse, book again or go to a facility.
Emergency numbers
767 works in Lagos State; 112 is the national number. Numbers change: please check locally. If a number does not connect, go straight to the nearest hospital.
Related doctors
Questions about this? A general practice doctor can help today.