Online ENT consultation in English, wherever you live
Ear, nose and throat problems rarely wait for a convenient moment. A blocked ear that does not clear, sinus pressure that keeps coming back, a voice that has been hoarse for weeks, ringing in the ears or dizziness can be hard to sort out, and in many countries the road to an ENT specialist (an otolaryngologist, or ear, nose and throat doctor) runs through a GP referral and a long waiting list.
At OtoCare, an ENT clinic in Brasília, Brazil, Dr. Larissa Vilela, otolaryngologist, offers online ENT consultations by video in English to patients in any country. The consultation can be used for a first assessment of symptoms, a second opinion on a diagnosis or a proposed surgery, a review of hearing tests, scans and endoscopy reports, or follow-up of a treatment that is already under way. No GP referral is needed to book.
Consultations are also available in French and in Portuguese. English-speaking visitors and residents who are in Brazil can book in the same way.
You can also call or message +55 61 99957-8479.
Why people abroad look for an ENT online
The reasons change from country to country, but they tend to be the same few: a specialist who can only be reached through a GP, waiting lists measured in months, a high cost for those without insurance, and few ENT doctors outside the big cities. The figures below come from official statistics and published studies.
United Kingdom and Ireland
In the NHS, a specialist is usually seen after a GP referral. In England, the waiting list for planned hospital care stood at about 7.3 million treatments at the end of July 2026, and only 65.4% had been waiting up to 18 weeks, against a target of 92%. ENT is one of the largest lists: about 594,000 ENT treatments were waiting, and only 57.6% had been waiting up to 18 weeks. A 2026 study of NHS England data found that the ENT waiting list doubled between 2019 and 2024.
In Ireland, a GP referral is also needed to see a consultant. On 27 August 2026, 45,656 people, 7,605 of them children, were waiting for a first ENT outpatient appointment in public hospitals, and 5,035 of them had been waiting for more than a year. A separate paediatric ENT list had another 4,383 children.
Canada
In 2023, 17.2% of Canadian adults did not have a regular health care provider, the person who usually writes the referral to a specialist. In Quebec, the first consultation with a medical specialist requires a family doctor to refer the patient. In an international survey carried out in 2023, only 31.5% of Canadians who needed a specialist were seen within a month, the lowest share among the ten countries compared.
Australia
Seeing a specialist with a Medicare rebate requires a referral letter from a GP. Specialist fees weigh on households: Australians paid A$4.17 billion out of pocket for specialist care outside hospital in 2025. In 2024-25, 8.6% of people who needed a specialist delayed the visit or did not go because of the cost.
United States
Access to a specialist depends heavily on insurance. In 2024, 8.0% of the population, about 27 million people, had no health insurance for the whole year. In the 2023 international survey, 27.1% of American adults said they had not seen a doctor for a medical problem because of the cost, the highest share among the ten countries. Distance is another barrier: a study of 2017 Medicare data found that 72.2% of rural counties had no ENT clinician at all.
Expats, travellers and English speakers in other countries
People living in a country whose language they do not speak well often find it hard to describe symptoms, understand a diagnosis or follow the explanation of a surgery. A consultation in English with an ENT specialist helps put the history, the test results and the options in order, so the patient can decide the next step with confidence.
What an online ENT consultation can help with
A careful history, the test results the patient already has and what can be seen on camera are enough to move forward in many ENT problems. The online consultation is often useful for:
- blocked or runny nose, allergic rhinitis, sneezing and nasal itching;
- sinus symptoms and sinusitis that keeps coming back;
- sore throat, recurrent tonsillitis, throat clearing and discomfort when swallowing;
- hoarseness, voice fatigue and a cough that does not go away;
- tinnitus (ringing in the ears), a feeling of a blocked ear and hearing complaints;
- dizziness, vertigo and imbalance without warning signs;
- snoring, mouth breathing and suspected sleep apnea;
- review of hearing tests, CT and MRI scans, endoscopy reports and blood tests;
- a second opinion on a diagnosis, a treatment plan or a proposed ENT surgery;
- follow-up of a treatment already prescribed.
The list does not mean that every one of these problems can be solved at a distance. Ear pain, hearing loss, dizziness and throat problems may need an examination or specific tests. The role of the online consultation is to organise the care safely and to point to the right next step.
What cannot be done by video
A camera does not show the ear canal and eardrum, the inside of the nose, the back of the throat or the vocal cords. Otoscopy, nasal endoscopy, laryngoscopy, hearing tests and procedures such as earwax removal need the patient in the room. When the information is not enough, the doctor says so and recommends an in-person examination.
In Brasília, the in-person ENT consultation at OtoCare includes the examination, and nasofibrolaryngoscopy (an endoscopy of the nose and throat) is performed at the clinic. Both pages are in Portuguese. For patients abroad, the in-person part can be planned for a trip to Brazil.
How the online consultation works
1. Booking
Booking is done with the OtoCare team on WhatsApp or by phone. Tell the team the city and country where you will be at the time of the consultation, the age of the patient, the main reason for the consultation and the language you prefer. The location is recorded in the medical record.
2. Sending your test results
Have your previous prescriptions, reports, scans and test results ready as complete, readable files. The team explains the right channel for sending them. Do not send health data through channels the clinic has not indicated.
3. The video consultation
At the scheduled time, join the video platform from a quiet, private place. The platform is integrated with the clinic’s electronic medical record. The doctor takes a detailed history, reviews the documents and answers questions. When useful, the patient may be asked to show an area on camera or make simple movements, which helps but does not replace a physical examination.
4. Plan and next steps
At the end, you receive guidance that matches what could be assessed. The plan may include self-care measures, treatment, tests to request, follow-up or an in-person consultation at OtoCare. A written report in English can be issued when it is clinically appropriate.
Consultation hours in your time zone
Online consultations follow the clinic’s opening hours: Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Brasília time. Brasília time is UTC−3, the same as São Paulo, and Brazil does not use daylight saving time. In Coordinated Universal Time, that is 10:00 to 19:30 UTC.
| Where you are | Standard time | Daylight saving time |
|---|---|---|
| London, Dublin | 10:00 am to 7:30 pm | 11:00 am to 8:30 pm |
| New York, Toronto | 5:00 am to 2:30 pm | 6:00 am to 3:30 pm |
| Los Angeles, Vancouver | 2:00 am to 11:30 am | 3:00 am to 12:30 pm |
| Sydney | 8:00 pm to 5:30 am (next day) | 9:00 pm to 6:30 am (next day) |
Each country changes to and from daylight saving time on its own dates, so the difference from Brasília time can shift by an hour during the year. The team confirms the time in your time zone when booking.
Fees and payment
The fee for the online consultation is the same as for the in-person consultation in Brazil, converted into your currency at the exchange rate on the day of payment. Contact the team on WhatsApp for the current fee and the payment options.
OtoCare is a private clinic. Whether a health insurer or public system outside Brazil reimburses a consultation with a doctor in another country depends on the rules of each plan, so check with your insurer before booking if reimbursement matters to you.
Prescriptions, medical reports and the rules where you live
When clinically indicated, prescriptions, test requests, reports and medical certificates are issued electronically, with a digital signature, under Brazilian rules. Reports can be written in English.
A Brazilian prescription may not be accepted by a pharmacy in another country, and the same applies to medical certificates and test requests. Acceptance depends on the rules of the country, the pharmacy or the institution where the document is presented. These rules vary from country to country and can change over time, so it is up to the patient to check them where they live. The issuing of any document depends on the medical assessment, and booking a consultation does not guarantee a prescription.
Telehealth rules in Brazil and abroad
In Brazil, telehealth is authorised by Federal Law 14,510 of 2022 and regulated for doctors by Resolution 2,314 of 2022 of the Federal Council of Medicine. The law gives the doctor the freedom to decide whether a case can be handled online, including a first consultation, or needs an in-person visit.
Brazilian rules do not require the patient to be in Brazil. In 2025, the Regional Council of Medicine of the State of Goiás stated in a formal opinion that telemedicine can be provided by a doctor licensed in Brazil to patients who live abroad. Dr. Larissa Vilela is licensed by the Regional Council of Medicine of the Federal District (CRM/DF 16.978) and is a registered ENT specialist (RQE 13.397).
Each country has its own rules about consulting a doctor licensed in another country, and those rules can change. Before booking, it is up to the patient to know the rules that apply where they are.
Online ENT consultations for children
Children can have an online ENT consultation, with a parent or legal guardian present for the whole call, when the problem is one that can be assessed by video. Common examples are snoring, mouth breathing, recurrent colds and tonsillitis, and the review of hearing tests. When the child needs an ear or throat examination, the doctor recommends an in-person consultation.
When a video consultation is not the right choice
These situations need medical evaluation without delay: shortness of breath, noisy breathing, heavy bleeding, a serious injury, sudden hearing loss, weakness on one side of the body, sudden difficulty speaking, fainting, confusion, a severe allergic reaction or any symptom that is getting worse quickly. A scheduled video consultation is not the way to handle them.
About Dr. Larissa Vilela
Dr. Larissa Vilela is an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) in Brasília, with a doctorate from the University of São Paulo and experience in more than 500 ENT surgeries. She treats adults and children and is a member of the Brazilian Association of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery (ABORL-CCF) and of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). She consults in English, French and Portuguese. Her profile, in Portuguese, is on the page Dra. Larissa Vilela.
Privacy and medical records
An online consultation carries the same duties of care, confidentiality and record keeping as an in-person one. Health data are sensitive personal data. The video platform used by OtoCare is integrated with the electronic medical record, and the relevant clinical information is recorded and kept confidential under Brazil’s data protection law (LGPD, Law 13,709 of 2018).
The patient also plays a part: choose a private place, use a reliable connection, avoid public computers, and do not record or share the consultation without consent. If someone else joins the call, tell the doctor at the start.
Frequently asked questions about online ENT consultations
Can I see an ENT doctor online?
Yes. An ENT doctor can assess many ear, nose and throat problems by video, review your test results and recommend treatment or the next tests. When an examination of the ear, nose or throat is needed, the doctor recommends an in-person consultation at OtoCare.
Do I need a referral to see an ENT online?
No referral is needed to book an online consultation with Dr. Larissa Vilela at OtoCare. If you want your insurer to reimburse the consultation, check its rules first, because some plans require a GP referral.
Can an online ENT doctor prescribe medication?
Yes, when there is a clinical indication. Prescriptions are issued electronically under Brazilian rules, some medicines have specific requirements, and booking a consultation does not guarantee a prescription.
Will a Brazilian prescription be accepted in my country?
There is no automatic international validity. Acceptance depends on the laws of the country and on the pharmacy or institution where the prescription is presented. These rules vary and can change over time.
Can I get a second opinion from an ENT online, for example before surgery?
Yes. Send the reports, scans and test results you already have, and the doctor reviews them with your history before giving an opinion. Before an operation on the ears, nose, sinuses, tonsils or voice, the consultation can review the indication, the alternatives and the expected recovery.
What ENT problems can be treated in a virtual visit?
Rhinitis, sinus symptoms, recurrent sore throat, hoarseness, tinnitus, dizziness without warning signs, snoring and the review of test results are common reasons. Problems that require an examination inside the ear, nose or throat are assessed at an in-person consultation at OtoCare.
Can the doctor see inside my ear or throat on video?
No. A video call does not show the eardrum, the inside of the nose or the vocal cords. The doctor relies on the history, on your test results and on what can be seen from the outside, and recommends an in-person examination at OtoCare when needed.
How much does an online ENT consultation cost?
The fee is the same as the in-person consultation in Brazil, converted into your currency at the exchange rate on the day of payment. Contact the team on WhatsApp for the current amount.
Will my health insurance cover the consultation?
It depends on your insurer. OtoCare is a private clinic in Brazil, and coverage of a consultation with a doctor in another country varies from plan to plan. Check with your insurer before booking.
Is it legal to see a doctor in another country online?
Brazilian law allows a doctor licensed in Brazil to provide teleconsultations to patients who are abroad. Each country has its own rules on consulting a foreign doctor, and the patient should check the rules where they are.
Can my child have an online ENT consultation?
Yes, with a parent or legal guardian present during the whole consultation and for problems that can be assessed by video.
What time are the appointments in my time zone?
Consultations run from Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Brasília time (UTC−3), which is 10:00 to 19:30 UTC. The team confirms the time in your time zone when booking.
Can I get a medical report in English?
Yes. When clinically appropriate, the report can be written in English, giving you a clear record of the assessment and the plan.
How long does the online consultation take?
It varies with the complexity of the problem, the history and the number of test results to review. The aim is a careful assessment, not a fixed time slot that is the same for everyone.
What do I need for the video consultation?
A phone or computer with a camera and microphone, a stable internet connection and a quiet, private place. Keep your test results, your list of medicines and an identity document at hand.
What happens if the connection drops?
The team explains how to reconnect or reschedule. Keep the phone number you gave when booking available during the consultation.
Is the consultation confidential?
Yes. The clinical information from the consultation is kept in an electronic medical record, protected by medical confidentiality and by Brazil’s data protection law.
Book your online ENT consultation
If you need an ENT assessment, a second opinion or a review of your test results, contact the OtoCare team on WhatsApp. Tell the team where you will be at the time of the consultation, the main reason for the consultation and whether the patient is an adult or a child. The team confirms the date, the time in your time zone and the access instructions.
Phone and WhatsApp: +55 61 99957-8479. OtoCare, CLNW 08/09, Bloco C, Loja 02, Setor Noroeste, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
This page is also available in French, Téléconsultation ORL en ligne avec une spécialiste francophone, and in Portuguese, Otorrino online: teleconsulta com otorrinolaringologista.
References
- BRASIL. Lei nº 14.510, de 27 de dezembro de 2022: authorises and regulates telehealth throughout Brazil. Brasília, DF: Presidência da República, 2022. Available at: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2019-2022/2022/lei/l14510.htm. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- CONSELHO FEDERAL DE MEDICINA (CFM). Resolução CFM nº 2.314, de 20 de abril de 2022: defines and regulates telemedicine. Brasília, DF: CFM, 2022. Available at: https://sistemas.cfm.org.br/normas/arquivos/resolucoes/BR/2022/2314_2022.pdf. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- CONSELHO REGIONAL DE MEDICINA DO ESTADO DE GOIÁS (CREMEGO). Parecer Consulta nº 02/2025: telemedicine for patients abroad. Goiânia: CREMEGO, 17 Mar. 2025. Available at: https://sistemas.cfm.org.br/normas/arquivos/pareceres/GO/2025/2_2025.pdf. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- NHS ENGLAND. Statistical Press Notice: NHS referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times data, July 2026. London: NHS England, 10 Sept. 2026. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/Jul26-RTT-statistical-press-notice-PDF-578K-97ylx5.pdf. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- SPINOS, D. et al. Referral to treatment times in the National Health Service of England: a five-year analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and socioeconomic deprivation and future implications for Ear, Nose and Throat service delivery. PLoS One, v. 21, n. 4, e0346596, 2026. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0346596. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346596. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- NHS. Your choices in the NHS. London: NHS, [n. d.]. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/your-choices-in-the-nhs/. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- NATIONAL TREATMENT PURCHASE FUND (NTPF). Open data: national outpatient waiting list, 27 Aug. 2026. Dublin: NTPF, 2026. Available at: https://www.ntpf.ie/waiting-list-data/open-data/. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- CITIZENS INFORMATION. Health overview. Dublin: Citizens Information Board, [n. d.]. Available at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health-overview/. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- STATISTICS CANADA. Key findings from the Health of Canadians report, 2024. The Daily, Ottawa, 5 Mar. 2025. Available at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250305/dq250305a-eng.htm. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC. Consulting a medical specialist. Québec: Gouvernement du Québec, [n. d.]. Available at: https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/finding-a-resource/consulting-a-medical-specialist. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- DORN, M. Erfahrungen der Wohnbevölkerung ab 18 Jahren mit dem Gesundheitssystem: Situation in der Schweiz und im internationalen Vergleich. Obsan Bericht 10/2023. Neuchâtel: Schweizerisches Gesundheitsobservatorium, 2023. Available at: https://www.obsan.admin.ch/sites/default/files/2023-12/Obsan_10_2023_BERICHT.pdf. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- BETTER HEALTH CHANNEL. Seeing a specialist. Melbourne: Department of Health, State Government of Victoria, [n. d.]. Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/seeing-a-specialist. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- AUSTRALIA. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Specialist affordability: options to address excessive fee charging. Executive summary. Canberra, 2026. Available at: https://consultations.health.gov.au/medicare-benefits-and-digital-health-division/options-to-address-excessive-fees/supporting_documents/executive-summary-options-to-address-excessive-specialist-fees-1pdf. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (ABS). Patient experiences, 2024-25. Canberra: ABS, 2025. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-services/patient-experiences/latest-release. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU. Income, poverty and health insurance coverage in the United States: 2024. Press release. Washington, DC, Sept. 2025. Available at: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/income-poverty-health-insurance-coverage.html. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- LIU, D. H. et al. Geographic distribution of otolaryngology advance practice providers and physicians. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, v. 167, n. 1, p. 48-55, 2022. DOI: 10.1177/01945998211040408. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34428088/. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.
- BRASIL. Lei nº 13.709, de 14 de agosto de 2018: General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD). Brasília, DF: Presidência da República, 2018. Available at: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2015-2018/2018/lei/l13709.htm. Accessed: 5 Oct. 2026.