Cleveland Clinic

Frequently Asked Questions for Chats

Below are some answers to commonly asked questions that you may find helpful.

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Before You Get Started

1). You will need to have the latest Adobe Flash Plug-in installed.
To verify what version of Adobe Flash you are using OR to install this free plug-in, click here.

2). Cleveland Clinic Online Health Chats support the following internet browsers:
Internet Explorer (IE) 7, 8 or 9 or FireFox browser.
For an optimal experience, please use one of the browsers listed above.

How to Register for a Chat and then Ask Questions

Below are directions for registration and participation in chats. A couple of hints when creating both usernames and passwords.

1). Do not start your username with a number (ex: 4Kari). Also, do not use spaces in your username.

2). For privacy concerns, since chats are an open forum, it is recommended to have a username that is not identifiable. For instance, do not use your email address, last name, birthdate, etc.

NEW USER

The following instructions are for new users only (those who do not currently have an account with Cleveland Clinic Online Health Chats).

Step 1

Go to http://www.clevelandclinic.org/webchat and click on the CREATE ACCOUNT tab. Fill in the required information. You can also choose to fill in the optional information, including areas of interest. When you are finished, click the CREATE ACCOUNT button located at the bottom of the page.

Be sure to choose a username and password that are easy for you to remember. Please write your username and password down, as we do not send a confirmation of this information to your email address.

NOTE: Your username will appear with your question and will be visible to others. DO NOT use your real name or email address as your username.

Step 2

After you create your account, you will receive an onscreen thank you note like the image below. Click RETURN TO CHATS HOMEPAGE to review the chat schedule and register for individual chats.

Step 3

On the Chats homepage, you can register for any of the available chats.
Simply click the blue REGISTER button next to the chat description.

After you register, you will receive an onscreen thank you note like the one shown below. Please print this note as a reminder that you have registered for the chat.

If you would like to register for more chats, simply click the RETURN TO CHATS HOMEPAGE link.

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How to Submit a Question

You may submit a question prior to or during the chat. Remember: you must have an account and be registered for a specific chat in order to participate.

Before the Chat (more than 24 hours before):

Go to http://my.clevelandclinic.org/webcontact/WebMail.aspx and use our online CONTACT US form to submit a question.
Select “Medical” or “Non-Medical,” then select “Online Health Chats Feedback.”

On the Day of the Chat (less than 24 hours):

Go to http://www.clevelandclinic.org/webchat and click on the LOGIN tab.
Enter your username (Login ID) and password. Click the blue LOGIN button again to login to your account.

You will be automatically redirected to the chat window.

Submit your question by typing it into the rectangular box, directly below the chat window.
Press ENTER on your keyboard or click the SUBMIT button when finished.

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How Questions Are Answered

The web chats at Cleveland Clinic are text based. Questions and answers appear on the screen. You will not be able to hear the chat: there is no audio.

Questions will be answered by our medical expert in the order received. However, it may take awhile for your question to appear “live” onscreen, depending on where it falls in the queue. If many questions are asked on the same topic, not all questions may appear – the speaker may summarize. Also, should you happen to join the chat already in progress, you may click the green TRANSCRIPT button located at the top of the chat box to view the prior discussion.

Please be assured that our expert will answer as many questions as possible in the allotted time. The doctor may answer questions after the chat, so if your question is not answered during the chat, you may find the answer (or a similar Q and A) in the final transcript of the chat, which will be posted here, usually within one week after the chat.

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Additional Questions

Will my question be answered?

Many people participate in each chat, and the doctor will answer as many questions as time allows. It may take a while for your question to appear, depending on where it falls in the queue. If many questions are asked regarding the same topic, not all individual questions will appear; rather, the speaker may summarize. If your question is not answered during the chat, you may click on contact us to receive your answers via email.

I missed part of the chat or I cannot attend. What do I do?

For those of you who cannot attend the chat, if you have registered, an email will be sent to the email address you registered with that will contain a link to the transcript when it is posted. Or you can go to the chat transcript page a week after the chat.

If you log in to a chat after it has started, click the green TRANSCRIPT button to view what has already been discussed.

I forgot my password. What do I do?

We can help when you have forgotten your password.

What should I do if I can't connect to the chat?

Many companies have firewall rules set-up that prevent internet traffic to external servers using unknown protocols. This can also be an issue on home networks. The settings that people use to protect their home computers from network-based attacks, such as viruses and spyware, can often have the side effect of restricting legitimate uses of the internet, such as participating in our Health Chats. Check your firewall settings as well as your virus or spyware programs to make sure they are not blocking you from the chat.

Additional tips:
Make sure you have the latest version of Flash installed.
Check to make sure that you have an internet connection.

Access for Hearing or Visual Impaired

Your computer may have options to assist with accessibility such as a magnifier for larger text as well as text-to-speech.
See the following links for more information:

Microsoft accessibility information:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/accessibility

Apple accessibility information:
http://www.apple.com/accessibility/macosx/vision.html

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