Performing physical exams and conducting assessments virtually are skills that many clinicians were never taught during their formal education. With a little training and practice, the vast majority of exams and assessments are possible through video (with or without the aid of peripheral devices).
Not everything is appropriate for a virtual visit. If you cannot examine something you need to examine, you will need to have the patient/client evaluated in-person. However, in an article called "Why the Telemedicine Physical is Better Than You Think", Aditi Joshi, MD, MSC and Judd Hollander, MD argue that "the great majority of an examination is possible through video with a little creative thinking" and that "the question should not be about whether or not the physical examination is as complete as an in-person visit but whether or not enough of a physical examination can be done to lead to an appropriately actionable decision."
The Old Dominion University (ODU) Center for Telehealth Innovation, Education and Research (C-TIER) has developed a series of training videos related to a variety of types of physical exams and assessments that we find very valuable and believe you will as well.
If you would like to receive CME/CE credit, there is an excellent online training developed by Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College on Telemedicine: Conducting an Effective Physical Exam Online Course ($100 for this 1 hour online course that includes CME/CE, with a 10% discount offered through Telehealth Village). Use the link to access discount code information.
Finally, the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center has developed a nice overview video on the Telemedicine Physical Exam that has a few tips and tricks you might find valuable as well, and also has a small segment on integrating an interpreter into a visit:
