Rely on the WhatsApp video and continue the assessment

You decide to continue the consultation using the video sent through your personal WhatsApp account.

From the recording, Ny. M appears conscious and can still respond to questions. Because the image is unclear and only shows part of her movement, you are unable to assess the neurological deficit reliably. However, you interpret her preserved consciousness as reassuring and continue giving advice without arranging immediate in-person assessment.

Her daughter assumes that the video has provided enough information for the doctor to determine that the condition is not immediately dangerous.

As time passes, Ny. M’s right-sided weakness and speech difficulty persist. When she is eventually brought to the emergency department, the receiving team learns that the symptoms had started several hours earlier.

The case raises two concerns: the use of an unofficial communication channel containing identifiable patient information, and inappropriate clinical reassurance based on an incomplete remote assessment.