………………………………………………………………………………….
Telehealth Troubleshooting
*We recommend using Google Chrome as the most trouble free browser.
*We also recommend a wired internet connection when possible
As with any technology, there is likely to be a few technical glitches or questions every once in awhile, especially as patients are learning to use the software. For live, telehealth video chat apps, the most frequent patient questions are usually what you’d expect — why can’t I hear my counselor? Why isn’t the video working? What’s the best way to access the telehealth app? We expanded that list to give you an idea of the top telehealth technical client FAQs so you can be well prepared to head off problems before they even happen.
1) Why isn’t my video loading?
You’ll need to check two things here. First, do you have your webcam all set up? If you’re using a mobile device or laptop, chances are you have an integrated camera. If you’re on a desktop computer, you may be using a separate webcam. Go to your device’s control panel or settings menu and look for your webcam under devices. Test it out to see if it’s working. You could also try opening a video chat app like Skype to see if the webcam is working correctly. For some telehealth apps, like the our Theranest program you can also run an equipment test to check your webcam.
Second, did you allow the web browser to access your webcam? If you’re using the web app (not the Android or iOS mobile app), your browser will show a pop-up when you first enter the virtual visit. The pop-up will ask you to allow the browser to access your webcam. Click yes to allow. If you don’t see that, try refreshing the page.
2) Why is the video quality bad?
Low video quality is usually caused by a poor internet connection. You should have a minimum internet connection of 10mbps to do a virtual therapy session. That’s the minimum speed we recommend for streaming video.
To test your internet connection speed, visit speedtest.net and press start. If the test says your speed is under 10mbps and you’re using wifi, try using a wired internet connection or restarting your router.
3) Why isn’t my audio working?
We know it sounds silly, but is your speaker volume turned up? We’ve all done that before. You can always play some music or open up a videoclip on YouTube to test your sound. We have actually had someone lose their sound and video because their cat walked across their keyboard and disabled it. Not a bad cat, just an accident. Things happen.
4) Why can’t my counselor hear me?
Check your microphone. Is it working? Like the webcam, you’re probably dealing with an integrated microphone if you’re on a mobile device or laptop. If you’re on your computer, you should have an external microphone plugged in. n Windows 10 you can simply type “microphone” or “video” into the search box on the bottom left to access all of the settings go to your device panel or settings and make sure your microphone is set-up. You could also open a simple voice recorder app (most mobile devices or computers come with one, like Quicktime) and do a test recording.
5) My computer screen froze. What should I do now?
Chances are, your internet connection dropped. Try refreshing the webpage — usually that will help. If you’re still having issues, check on your internet connection at speedtest.net. If you continue to have problems, contact your counselor or contact our technical support department. While the solutions may vary depending on your computer and connection, we will have a good starting point for getting the problem corrected as quickly as possible.