TeleMedicine Appointment Requests

Please be aware that we are only accepting new patients from Fauquier and bordering counties of Virginia only. New patients are defined as not having been seen in our office within the past 36 months. You can appeal this limitation by sending us an email. Appeals by phone will NOT be accepted. In only very rare and selective cases have we made exceptions.

In order to qualify for telemedicine services, all the following steps must be completed!!! Read carefully!

STEP 1: Make sure you have the equipment to allow for telemedicine services.

In order to be eligible for telemedicine services, interested patients MUST meet the following criteria:

• You MUST have access to high-speed WiFi internet or a strong cell signal
• You MUST have a device with both audio and video capabilities whether it be a smartphone (ie, iPhone,  Android), iPad, and/or computer.

If you want to test and make sure your setup will work, click here (You will go to a different webpage where the test will auto-run and check your internet speed as well as audio-video capabilities; after a few minutes, the results will appear at the bottom. Good or excellent for both audio and video is necessary for telemedicine.)

• For the actual program used for telemedicine, our office uses Doxy.me. The program is a secure video chat available to use with most computer/smartphone browsers (Safari, Chrome, or Firefox).

Doxy.me does NOT require you to create an account nor requires any app download. It is available by going to their website.

Any troubleshooting should be directed to your hardware vendor (our office has very limited IT capabilities).

STEP 2: Download registration paperwork and provide ID documentation

You Are a NEW Patient: If you have NOT been seen in our office within the past 36 months...  

Download the registraton forms. Please complete ALL 4 pages. We will also need a:

• Photo of your Driver's License as well as
• Photo of your Insurance Card, front and back.

You are an ESTABLISHED Patient: But it's been over 1 year... 

Download the registraton forms and complete only the first 2 pages. If your insurance has changed since we last saw you, we will also need a photo of the front and back of your insurance card.

If you have been seen in our office within the past year, SKIP to step 3!

STEP 3: Download and SIGN the TeleMedicine Consent Form

If you have not already submitted a telemedicine consent form within the past year, download and sign the TeleMedicine Consent form here.

If we already have a recent consent form on file, you can SKIP this step. (Recent meaning within the past year.)

STEP 4: Send us all the paperwork

Once our office has received all your information, a staff member will contact you within 1 business day to setup a day and time of your TeleMedicine appointment.

There are FOUR ways to send us all the above information.

1. Mail it to us via US postal service. Mail to:

2. OR Fax it to our office at 540-347-5224 (PLEASE STATE on fax cover sheet "TeleMedicine Appointment")

3. OR Email all the information to: soaper (at) FauquierENT (dot) net

In the subject line, please state "TeleMedicine Forms." Keep in mind that email is NOT considered a secure way to send us information.

4. OR Complete the web form below after Step 5.

STEP 5: Have the following available at time of telemedicine appointment (if applicable)

1. At time of telemedicine appointment, please have a FLASHLIGHT handy.

The next two items are OPTIONAL, but highly recommended.

2. IF YOU HAVE AN EAR RELATED PROBLEM... For any problems involving the ear (clogged ears, tinnitus, etc), please take an online hearing test even if you do not feel any hearing loss is present and send the results to us. Having this information on hand will expedite the telemedicine appointment. When you perform the hearing test, make sure you perform the test on BOTH sides by first selecting the LEFT (blue button) and then the  RIGHT (red button). If done correctly, you should see both RED CIRCLES and BLUE X's on the chart as shown in the image to the right.

3. Purchasing a digital otoscope would be ideal so that images of the nasal cavity, mouth interior, ear canal, and eadrum can be obtained at home and shown to the doctor during your telemedicine visit. Digital otoscopes can be purchased on Amazon typically between $30-$75. It can be connected to either your smartphone or your computer depending on the model you purchase. Having images of the eardrum is particularly important if there is any ear pain, hearing loss, or clogged ear sensation in order to evaluate for possible ear infection, fluid in the ear, earwax, eustachian tube dysfunction, etc.

If you are not sure how to insert into the ear or nose safely, watch the video below or the doctor can help guide you during your telemedicine visit. Just make sure you are using the digital otoscope on a device different from the device you are using for the telemedicine visit (for example, do NOT plan to perform both telemedicine and digital otoscope on the same smartphone at the same time).

Information on Common Problems Seen in Our Office