Telehealth: Virtual Visits at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals

"Telehealth" means using technology to access or provide medical care and advice remotely instead of in person. Video visits are the most common telehealth tool used at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.

In a video visit, parents or guardians (and/or your child, depending on their age) can see and speak to a health care provider from anywhere with an internet connection.

Second opinion program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals: If your child has a serious medical issue and a proposed treatment plan, you can meet with a pediatric specialist to discuss their case and get a second opinion. This is usually done in person, but video consultations are sometimes allowed.

Pediatric video visits

Our clinics offer virtual care for hundreds of conditions. Providers see pediatric patients in video visits for primary care, follow-up appointments (including post-surgical visits), mental health services, medication monitoring and more.

Of course, not every health care concern can be managed remotely. Your child's medical providers will determine whether a video visit or an in-person appointment is the best option.

What to expect at a video visit

In a video visit, you and your child (or just your child for certain visits, starting at age 12) see a health care provider from home or another convenient place.

Providers spend the same amount of time with you and/or your child as they would at an in-person appointment. They can assess symptoms, make diagnoses, recommend treatments, prescribe medication and discuss recommended care.

Sometimes it turns out that an in-person visit is needed. In that case, a clinic visit will be scheduled.

Note: Video ("Zoom") visits are provided through your child's MyChart account, not yours. To sign in to a visit, you'll need your own UCSF MyChart account as well as proxy access to your child's account. If this is new to you, scroll down to "Proxy access for video visits: Details for parents."

How to set up a parent/child video visit with a provider: The basics

You can set up a video visit on a phone, tablet or computer – any device equipped with Zoom and an integrated camera. You'll need your own MyChart account as well as proxy access to your child's account. If you haven't used Zoom before, get set up and test it at least a day ahead of time.

Follow these simple steps:

Download the UCSF MyChart app to your device (if you haven't done so already) and log in.
Look for a circle with your initials or photo in the upper right corner of the screen. Click on that to switch from your MyChart account to proxy access for your child's MyChart.
In MyChart, view the appointment instructions and prepare your device for a video visit.
Test your device. Your connection is successful when you can see yourself on-screen.
Start the MyChart check-in process at least 15 minutes before your appointment time.
Join the video visit at least 5 minutes before your appointment time. You'll be in a waiting room until the provider admits you.
Need help? Call MyChart customer service at (415) 514-6000 or see "Proxy access for Video Visits" and "Video visits made easy," below.

Proxy access for video visits: Details for parents

Video (Zoom) visits are provided through your child's MyChart account, not yours. To sign in to a video visit, you'll need your own UCSF MyChart account as well as proxy access to your child's. (If you don't have MyChart, sign up for it here.) If you're new to this, here's how it works for parents and guardians:

For age 11 or younger: You can sign up for full proxy access to your child's UCSF MyChart.

For ages 12 to 17: If you already have proxy access, it continues automatically when your child turns 12, but the access is more limited. If you're new to UCSF, you can sign up for proxy access.

Setting up proxy access: Your child's clinic can walk you through it. Another option is to sign in to MyChart, visit the MyChart Proxy Center and follow the instructions there. Have questions or need help? Call MyChart customer support at (415) 514-6000, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Video (Zoom) visits made easy: Help for new users

New to these visits? Take a look at our video visit guides.

We walk you through the basics of using Zoom for video visits, step by step. Short videos make it easy, with simple visuals and clear, spoken instructions for video visits on your phone, tablet, PC or Mac. You can also download written instructions as PDFs.

Video visits: Insurance coverage for pediatric patients

Here's how it works for kids from birth to age 17:

Patients with private insurance plans. California law requires private insurers to treat video visits the same as in-person office visits. The insurance reimbursement for your child's video visits should be the same as for an in-person visit; co-pays and deductibles apply.
Patients with Medi-Cal. Video visits are covered.