Telehealth Best Practices

Still, making the shift from in-person sessions to teletherapy requires a bit of initial work. In this guide, you’ll find a broad overview of the steps you can take to set yourself up for success and effectively conduct virtual sessions.

We’ll cover:

1. Telehealth platforms
2. Paperwork and policies
3. Insurance procedures
4. Making space and conducting telehealth sessions
5. Telehealth platforms

Telehealth platforms

Before you can conduct virtual sessions, you’ll need to choose a HIPAA compliant platform that supports telehealth. In general, the three best options are:

• Doxy. This platform is designed specifically for telemedicine. It has a free plan with limited features, and a paid plan at $35/month for more standard features.
• Zoom. This popular video platform offers a HIPAA compliant version for approximately $160/year.
• Alma. In addition to its all-in-one EHR, insurance program, and billing tools, Alma provides members a secure telehealth platform included in the cost of membership ($125/month).

The functionality of these platforms can vary significantly. It’s worthwhile to evaluate which one is the right fit for you and your clients based on ease of use, how this works with your existing tools and software, reliability, and additional cost.

Regulatory requirements should also be taken into consideration before choosing a platform. As of May 2023, clinicians can now face penalties for conducting sessions via FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and other non-compliant platforms. And, when sessions happen across state lines, you’ll be required to hold a license in the state from which your client is participating.

Paperwork and policies

The same standards you set for in-person sessions should also apply to teletherapy. Make sure your clients complete any necessary forms, including consent and intake forms, and confirm that the process you have in place for maintaining confidentiality is secure.

When working with high-risk clients, use the same policies you would use for in-person sessions. Discuss your policies for addressing suicidality or self-harm with the client and be transparent about the challenges that telehealth presents when discussing these topics in virtual sessions.

A few things you may want to specifically review include:

Paperwork

Just as you have clients fill out consent forms when they arrive for their first in-person sessions, you’ll want to send any necessary forms to new clients ahead of time. You can adjust your existing consent form to apply to telemedicine or use this template, which provides the appropriate language.

Be sure you are using a HIPAA compliant platform to share consent forms and any other intake forms, like assessments or questionnaires. At Alma, we recommend that our members send and store these forms (along with other client records) using our HIPAA compliant portal that’s included with membership.