Patient Portals and Telehealth Visits: A Step-by-Step Guide

More and more doctors’ offices offer two online tools: a patient portal for messages and records, and telehealth visits by video or phone. Used together, they can save you trips and help you keep track of your care.

This guide walks through both, one step at a time. Every health system’s portal looks a little different, so use these steps as a map and follow your own office’s instructions for the details.

What Is a Patient Portal?

A patient portal is a secure website or app, usually run by your doctor’s office, clinic or hospital, where you can see your own health information. MedlinePlus describes it as a website for your personal health care.

Portals are usually free to use. You need a computer, tablet or smartphone with an internet connection.

What You Can Do in a Patient Portal

Features vary, but according to MedlinePlus, many portals let you:

Send secure messages to your doctor’s office with non-urgent questions.
See test results, visit summaries, medicines, allergies and immunizations.
Request prescription refills and referrals.
Schedule non-urgent appointments and get reminders, such as for a yearly checkup or flu shot.
Update your insurance or contact information, pay bills and fill out forms.

One important limit: portals are not for urgent problems. For anything time-sensitive, call your doctor’s office, and call 911 in an emergency.

How to Sign Up for Your Patient Portal

Many offices send sign-up instructions or an invitation or activation code after a visit, and some can help you sign up right at the front desk. The steps below are general, since each system works a bit differently.

Ask your doctor’s office if it has a patient portal and how to join. Ask for written instructions and any activation code you’ll need.
Go to the portal website or app the office names. Type the address yourself or use the one on your paperwork, rather than tapping a link in an unexpected text or email.
Choose the option to sign up or create an account.
Enter your activation code and the details the portal asks for, such as your name and date of birth, so it can confirm who you are.
Create a username and a strong password (tips below).
Set up any extra security the portal offers, such as security questions or two-step verification.
Check that your phone number and email address are correct, and choose how you’d like to be notified about new messages or results.

If you get stuck, call the office. Portal problems are common, and staff can often walk you through it.

Keeping Your Portal Account Secure

Your portal holds private health details, so it deserves the same care as a bank account. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests these basics:

Use a password at least 12 characters long.
Don’t reuse a password from another account.
Consider a password manager to create and remember strong passwords. Our guide, Password Managers Explained, covers how they work.
Turn on two-step verification if the portal offers it, so a stolen password alone isn’t enough to get in. The FTC notes that an authenticator app or security key is more secure than a texted code. See Two-Step Verification Explained for a walk-through.

It’s also wise to sign out when you finish, especially on a shared or public computer.

Giving a Family Member Proxy Access

If a spouse, adult child or other trusted person helps with your care, it can be tempting to just share your password. There’s a better way.

Many portals offer “proxy” or shared access, where your helper gets their own separate login. Federal guidance for health care practices on HealthIT.gov points out that sharing your password gives the other person access to everything, including your private messages with your doctor. Separate logins also keep a record of who did what.

Some portals can also set different levels of access, so a helper might see appointments and bills but not every note. Here’s how to set it up:

Call or message your doctor’s office and ask, “Do you offer proxy access to the patient portal?”
Ask what form or permission is needed. You may need to sign a request, and some situations call for legal paperwork such as a health care power of attorney.
Decide what your helper should be able to see and do, and tell the office.
Have your helper create their own account using the instructions they receive.
Ask how to change or end their access later, in case your needs change.

How to Prepare for a Telehealth Video Visit

For most video visits you need a computer, smartphone or tablet with a camera, microphone and speakers, plus an internet connection. If you don’t have a device with video, Telehealth.HHS.gov suggests asking whether a phone call could work for your visit.

These steps are based on tips from Telehealth.HHS.gov:

Ask ahead of time what the visit will cost and how you’ll join it. Watch for reminders and instructions from the office, often through the patient portal.
Test your device and internet connection a day or two before. Check your speakers or earphones too. Some offices will do a practice test with you.
Pick a quiet, private spot with a strong internet signal where you feel comfortable talking openly.
Make sure your face is well lit and easy to see. Keep the device steady, with the camera about at eye level.
Write down your medicines and how much you take, any allergies, and recent readings such as blood pressure, blood sugar, weight or temperature if they apply.
List the problems, worries and questions you want to cover, and keep paper and a pen nearby.
Have the office phone number handy as a backup. If the video won’t start, message or call the office.
If you need captions, a screen reader or another accessibility aid, tell the office before the visit.
Sign on a few minutes early.

During and After the Visit

During the Visit

Close other apps and programs so your connection runs smoothly.
Avoid eating or drinking, and never join a visit while driving.
Be patient if your provider is running a little late, just as at the office.
Take notes, and ask your provider to repeat or explain anything that isn’t clear.

After the Visit

Ask for a written summary or visit notes. Many offices post these in the patient portal.
Check the portal over the next few days for test results, refill updates or messages.
Use a portal message for non-urgent follow-up questions.

Does Medicare Cover Telehealth? (Status as of October 2026)

Medicare Part B covers certain telehealth services. According to Medicare.gov, after you meet the Part B deductible you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and for most telehealth services that’s the same as an in-person visit.

Rules about where you can be during a telehealth visit have changed several times in recent years, with temporary extensions and deadlines. As of October 2026, Medicare.gov says that through December 31, 2027, Medicare covers telehealth services you get from anywhere in the U.S., including your home.

A CMS telehealth FAQ updated in October 2026 explains that, starting January 1, 2028, many non-mental-health telehealth services would again generally require you to be at a medical facility in a rural area, unless the law changes. Telehealth.HHS.gov says that home-based telehealth for behavioral and mental health care is permanent, though some in-person visit requirements are set to apply starting in 2028.

Medicare Advantage plans may offer more telehealth benefits than Original Medicare. Because rules and dates can change, check Medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or talk with a free SHIP counselor about your own situation.

Watch Out for Telehealth and Medical Scams

Scammers know people are getting more care online and by phone. Keep these FTC tips in mind:

Medicare won’t call or text to ask you for money, according to the FTC. Caller ID can be faked, even when it says “Medicare.”
Don’t give your Medicare number, Social Security number or bank details to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.
Don’t tap links or open attachments in unexpected texts or emails about a “visit,” “test result” or “account problem.” Go to your portal the way you usually do.
Anyone who demands payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency is a scammer.
If a call worries you, hang up and call your doctor’s office or 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.
Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC also suggests telling friends and family about scams you spot.

A real telehealth visit is one you scheduled with your own provider, and its details usually show up in your patient portal or come from the office’s known phone number.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own health.

Patient Portals and Telehealth Visits: A Step-by-Step Guide