Guides
How to prepare for your video visit: an adult checklist
To prepare for a telehealth visit, have your photo ID, a list of your medicines with doses, your pharmacy's name and any recent lab results ready. Find a quiet, well-lit spot with a good signal, and confirm you are physically in Puerto Rico. With that, the doctor can evaluate, diagnose and treat, and if appropriate prescribe or give you a lab order, in one visit.
Is it an emergency? Call 911.
Pay now, then choose your time right away. Full refund if you cancel 24 hours or more ahead.
See the cancellation policy
You can cancel for a full refund or change the time up to 24 hours before your visit. Within 24 hours you can't cancel and there's no refund. If you don't join in the first 10 minutes, there's no refund.
If you choose a time less than 24 hours away, it can't be cancelled or changed.
If the clinic can't see you, for example because of a technical problem on our side, we refund you in full.
Is this an emergency?
This is not an emergency service. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:
- Chest pain or pressure, or severe shortness of breath
- A drooping face, arm weakness or sudden trouble speaking
- A severe allergic reaction: swelling of the face or throat
- Bleeding that will not stop, a hard blow to the head or sudden confusion
- Thoughts of harming yourself: call or text 988 or Línea PAS 1-800-981-0023
Help lines
How to prepare for your video visit: what to have ready
A video visit goes further when the doctor has the facts at hand. Get these together before you log on; you likely have most of it at home:
- Your photo ID. You show it on camera at the start to confirm who you are. A driver's license or passport works.
- A list of your medicines. Include prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements and herbal products, with the dose and how often you take them. Ideally, keep the bottles nearby so you can read the labels.
- Your allergies, especially to medicines, and the reaction you had.
- Your past diagnoses and surgeries, in a few words, and who treats your other conditions.
- Recent lab results or reports, if you have them. A clear photo or a PDF on your phone or computer is enough; the doctor guides you on sharing them during the visit.
- Your pharmacy's name and location, in case the doctor prescribes something.
- Today's numbers, if relevant: temperature with the time, blood pressure, blood sugar or weight. Jot them on paper.
- The physical address where you are in Puerto Rico during the visit, in case help ever needs to be sent.
- A notebook or your phone for questions. Write down what you want settled before you start.
Set up your space and connection
Pick a private, quiet place where you can speak freely. Turn off the TV, and if you can, sit facing a window or a lamp so the doctor can see you well. Light behind you turns your face dark on screen.
The visit works on your phone, tablet or computer, and you do not need to install anything special: we send you a secure link. Use the same device you will join with to test the camera and microphone a few minutes beforehand, keep it charged and, if you can, connect to a steady WiFi network. If you use mobile data, go where the signal is strong. Close other video or music apps that use the camera.
Earphones help you hear better and keep the visit more private. Visits are not recorded.
What the doctor can do in your video visit
Dr. Diana Nieves Castro is a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico, with several years of emergency-department experience. She sees patients in English or Spanish. In an online doctor visit she can:
- Evaluate and diagnose what is going on from your history, what she sees on camera and any numbers you have.
- Treat many common conditions and give you a clear plan.
- Prescribe, if appropriate, and send an online prescription to your pharmacy, or renew a medicine you already take.
- Give you a [lab order](route:service-lab-orders) so you can get tests at a lab near you, and go over the results with you.
- Write a doctor's note for work or school, when it applies.
- Tell you when you need in-person care and help you decide where to go.
Before you log on: confirm you are in Puerto Rico
The doctor is licensed in Puerto Rico, so you need to be physically on the island during the visit, whether at home, at work or in a hotel. If you are visiting, we see you too; see the visitors guide. Your location also tells us which pharmacy and lab are near you, and lets us send help if an emergency comes up.
How it works, step by step
See how it works for more detail. In short:
- Request a visit and pay by card. Video doctor visits 24/7 — book online and choose your time right away.
- Complete registration and sign the consent. You do it once, so the doctor sees your details before you start and you do not repeat them.
- Join with your visit link. Show your ID on camera, tell the doctor what is going on and ask your questions.
- Get your plan. If appropriate, a prescription goes to your pharmacy or you get a lab order; if you need a doctor's note, you get it.
How to tell the doctor what is going on
You do not need medical words. Say when it started, how it has changed, what makes it better or worse, what you have taken and what worries you most. If something feels embarrassing, say it anyway: the doctor hears it every day and the visit is private.
If you have several things to cover, start with the most important. If there are many, say so at the start so the time is split well; a complex problem may need a follow-up visit to review results or adjust treatment without rushing.
After the visit
If the doctor prescribes, the prescription goes to your pharmacy; call first to make sure they have the medicine. If you got a lab order, take it to the lab you prefer; the lab fee is separate and paid to the lab, not the clinic. See pricing for what each service includes.
Follow the doctor's instructions and note when to take each medicine. If you do not improve as expected, get worse or something new appears, request another visit. If you lose a prescription, read what to do if you lose a prescription.
When not to wait for a video visit
A video visit is for care that cannot wait long but is not an emergency. If you have any of these signs, call 911 or go to the ER, day or night. See also where to go when you are sick and the emergencies page.
- Chest pain or pressure, or severe shortness of breath.
- Stroke signs: a drooping face, sudden arm weakness or trouble speaking.
- A severe allergic reaction, with swelling of the face or throat.
- Bleeding that will not stop, a hard blow to the head or sudden confusion.
- Thoughts of harming yourself: call or text 988, or Línea PAS at 1-800-981-0023, any time.
If the connection drops
Rejoin using the same visit link. If you cannot reconnect, check your WiFi or switch to mobile data, and email the clinic so we can help you continue. If it drops just as you were describing a warning sign, do not wait: call 911.
How we care for you
We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you.
We see adults and children of all ages. Patients under 21: a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian is on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID.
Real-time video visit. We send you a secure video link. It works on your phone, tablet or computer.
If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy.
You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome).
In an emergency, call 911.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need for a video visit?
Do I need to install an app?
What ID do you ask for?
Do I have to be in Puerto Rico?
Should I have my lab results ready?
Can the doctor prescribe a medicine during the visit?
Is the visit recorded?
What if I am somewhere with a weak signal?
About this page
Author: The Health Initiative
Medical care provided by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD (PR license 24027)
Disclosure: Founding Executive Director of The Health Initiative
Published: 2026-10-10 · Updated: 2026-10-11