How it works
How telehealth works with us in Puerto Rico
Here is how telehealth works with us in Puerto Rico: you choose your visit type and pay online by card; we confirm your time by email or text; we send you a secure video link; and at the agreed time the doctor evaluates, diagnoses and treats you. If appropriate, she prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. You must be in Puerto Rico.
Is it an emergency? Call 911.
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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. We do not prescribe controlled substances.
You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome).
In an emergency, call 911.
Request a visit online 24/7 — we confirm your time by email or text.
What is telehealth, and what does Puerto Rico law require?
Telehealth is a medical visit at a distance. In Puerto Rico it is governed by the Telemedicine and Telehealth Act, Ley 168-2018, which requires, among other things, that the patient sign a written informed consent before the first visit and that the doctor hold a Puerto Rico license.
In our telehealth in Puerto Rico service, every online doctor visit by video is real time: you and the doctor see and talk to each other live. More in the guide to the telemedicine law.
Who can use the service
We see you if:
- You are physically in Puerto Rico during the visit. Residents, visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome.
- You are an adult or a child of any age: we see patients of all ages.
- If the patient is under 21, a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian signs the consent, stays on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID.
- It is not an emergency. In an emergency call 911.
Step by step: how telehealth works with us
This is what happens, in order:
On the booking page you choose your visit type, confirm you are eligible and pay on Stripe's secure page. We ask for your email and phone, but no health information.
We contact you by email or text to confirm the time of your visit.
We send you a secure video link, along with an invitation to complete your details and sign the informed consent. It works on your phone, tablet or computer.
At the agreed time you open the link. At the start, the doctor confirms your identity and where you are in Puerto Rico.
The doctor evaluates, diagnoses and explains the treatment. If appropriate, she prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy; if needed, she gives you a lab order for a lab near you; and if you need one, she gives you a doctor's note.
Before you start
- You must be in Puerto Rico during the visit. Visitors are welcome too.
- Patients under 21: a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian signs the written consent, stays on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID on camera. Visits are not recorded.
- In an emergency, call 911.
Which visit type to choose
There are three. A doctor visit is for a new problem, urgent care, children and most everything else. A follow-up visit is for a refill of a medicine you already take or a review of your lab results. School and work forms covers school, university and job forms. If a follow-up or forms visit turns out to need a full doctor visit, the doctor explains why and, with your consent, you pay the difference. See pricing.
What you need for the video visit
Have ready:
- A phone, tablet or computer with a camera and microphone.
- A stable internet connection. Use wifi if you can.
- A private, well-lit place.
- Photo ID (the parent's or guardian's if the patient is under 21).
- The name and address of your pharmacy.
- A list of the medications you take. For a child, a recent weight and a thermometer.
Informed consent
Before your first visit you sign a written consent to receive care by telehealth. It explains how care is delivered, its benefits and limits, the confidentiality risks of the technology, and your right to refuse. Visits are not recorded. Read the informed consent.
How to prepare for your telehealth visit
For adults, a quick list before you join (for a child's visit, read how to prepare your child for a video visit):
- Make sure you will be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit.
- Find a quiet, private room with good light, and charge your phone or computer.
- Have your photo ID and the name and address of your pharmacy.
- Write down your symptoms, when they started and what you have already taken.
- Have your list of medicines and allergies, or the bottles, at hand.
- For a skin problem, take photos in natural light to send through our secure portal.
- If you have a form or a lab result, keep it handy.
Prescriptions, lab tests and doctor's notes
If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. We do not prescribe controlled substances. If you need tests, such as a strep, urine, blood or STI test, she gives you a lab order for a lab near you, and you can then review the results with her in a follow-up visit. A doctor's note after your visit is included. Labs and pharmacies charge separately.
If you need in-person care
With her years in emergency rooms, the doctor knows when something needs to be seen in person. If so, she tells you and points you to where to go. If it is an emergency, call 911; see when to go to the ER.
Is this an emergency?
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, confusion, bleeding that will not stop, or if you think your life is in danger.
Help lines
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the visit by phone instead of video?
What happens if the doctor decides I need to be seen in person?
How do I join the video visit?
What language is the visit in?
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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: 2026-09-30 · Updated: 2026-10-02