Virtual doctor appointments have become quite an effective tool in keeping patients, doctors, and staff safe over the past couple of years. Now, you can get the doctor's advice right from your home without exposing yourself or others to the germs coating the surfaces in waiting rooms.

Here, you'll find a few tips to help you make the most of your next virtual doctor visit.

Make a List

Take the time to write down all of the symptoms that you've been experiencing and when they started. It is far too easy to leave one symptom out of the conversation when you're dealing with so many different things at once.

This list should include as much detail as possible. Anything from a sore throat, achy neck and body, odd tastes, changes in your breathing, colors of your fingernails – anything that has changed recently could give the doctor insight as to what's causing your ailment.

Take your Vitals

Many homes have blood pressure cuffs, glucose meters, and sometimes pulse-ox gadgets. If you have these items at your home, take a few minutes before the visit to take your blood pressure, test your sugar levels and check your pulse.

These tests are oftentimes performed at all well and sick visits, so your doctor would have a record of what your typical rates are. This is very helpful in determining if what you're suffering from requires an in-office visit or a trip to the local emergency room.

Take Pictures

If you have a rash, swelling, or other visible symptoms, take pictures of it before the visit. You should then be able to easily share those photos with the doctor during the visit without taking up time or stressing over getting the right light and angle to highlight the issue.

Test your Camera, Microphone, and Speakers

Before the visit starts, many virtual visit symptoms give you the opportunity to test the camera, microphone, and speakers. Rather than not being able to hear your doctor, or vice versa, complete the easy setup test so that you'll know that you are prepared to get right to it when it starts.

Preparing will help to ensure that you don't leave any important information out of the conversation. One small detail could mean the difference between being prescribed a medication that could begin to help immediately and suffering a few more days before contacting the doctor to let him or her know that you're still not well.