Online PCOD consultation in India: how a video visit works

Not everyone can come to Indore. Maybe you live in another city, your college or work schedule does not leave room for a clinic trip, or you want to start with a conversation before deciding anything. Video visits are offered for exactly these situations.

This article explains how to prepare and what a video visit can and cannot do. It is education, not a diagnosis. A doctor decides what you need.

What a video visit is good for

A video visit is a face-to-face conversation with a doctor on screen. It works well for:

• Telling your story: your periods, skin, hair, weight, mood and any plans for a baby.
• Going through reports you already have.
• Reviewing your medicines and supplements.
• Asking questions you have been carrying around.
• Understanding which tests or scans are likely to be needed, and why.
• Follow-up conversations once a plan is running.

Names vary. Your reports might say PCOD, PCOS, PCOM or PMOS, which is the new official name for PCOS. You do not need to sort that out beforehand.

What a video call cannot do

A screen cannot take a blood sample, do a scan or measure your waist. There is no single test for PCOD. Doctors use the Rotterdam criteria, which is any 2 of 3 signs (irregular or no ovulation, high androgens, polycystic ovaries on a scan), after ruling out other conditions. So a first video visit may be the start of an assessment, not the end of it.

If tests or a scan are needed, the doctor will tell you what, and why. Ask the team about the practical steps when you book.

What to keep ready

The more the doctor has in front of them, the more useful the visit is.

• Past reports. Blood tests, ultrasound reports and prescriptions, even old ones.
• A list of your medicines. Include supplements, herbal products and anything you take only now and then, with the names as printed on the pack.
• The first-day dates of your recent periods. The booklet's tracker page is made for this. If you have not tracked, write down your best memory of the last 3 or 4 periods.
• Your height and weight. A recent weight is better than a guess.

Some extras that help.

• Your waist measurement, if you can take it. Stand relaxed, breathe out, and measure halfway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone.
• A short list of what bothers you most, in order.
• Questions. The booklet suggests: what type of PCOD do I have, which tests do I need and how often, what are my goals for the next 3 months, which medicines and for how long, and when should I plan a pregnancy?

Setting up for the call

Find a quiet room with a good signal. Keep a phone or laptop where the doctor can see your face. Have a pen and paper to write down advice. If you are a teen, ask the team beforehand how a parent can be part of the visit.

When not to wait for a video visit

A video visit is for planned care. Get help urgently, in person, for severe lower tummy pain, fainting, very heavy bleeding, chest pain or breathlessness, or a sudden deepening of the voice with rapid hair growth.

See a doctor soon too if you have had no period for 3 months and are not pregnant, or bleeding has soaked a pad every hour for 2 hours.

If you ever think of harming yourself, tell someone and get help right away. Tele-MANAS 14416 is a free helpline, open 24x7.

Care after the first visit

Your doctor may suggest a plan built on food, activity and sleep first, with medicines only if you need them. Take medicines and supplements only on your doctor's advice, and ask before stopping or starting any.

If you want a structured plan, ask about the 3-month and 6-month programmes. The programme details are decided by your treating doctor, and the team can tell you what is included for your needs.

How to ask about a video visit

Call or WhatsApp +91 82230 87999. Say that you would like a video visit and tell them roughly what you want help with.

In person, the clinic is on Sahaj Hospital Campus, 15/2 South Tukoganj, Near Manas Bhavan, Behind Hotel Surya, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452005.