1. Professionalism:
Providers conducting a telemedicine visit must make sure that everything looks as polished as would be the case with an in-person visit. Their personal appearance should be neat and tidy, and they should be dressed in professional attire. Their office space should also be neat—any loose or messy papers should be filed or placed out of sight, and no food or drink should be visible to the patient.
2. Privacy:
To prevent or resolve any privacy issues, providers should close the door, use a headset, and ensure that any materials with personally identifiable information are not visible to the patient.
3. Quality of Care:
Instead of using paper charts, providers should have a second monitor available, if possible, and use it to review the patient’s medical history before beginning the telemedicine visit. Having access to the EHR via a second monitor during the visit will also make it easier for providers to identify the patient and any concerning medical conditions. Providers should also have a means of taking notes, whether it is by writing with a pen on paper or typing directly into the patient’s electronic chart.
4. Attention:
Before beginning a call with a patient, telemedicine providers should ensure that their office space will be quiet and that they can give all of their attention to the patient. Ideally, all distractions should be eliminated. Providers should close the door, turn off the television, prevent pets from visiting, and put away any electronic devices unless they will be using them to access medical information about the patient—in which case, they should advise the patient that they will be doing so.
5. Documentation:
Providers should ensure that they have a way to record such things as verification of each patient’s identity and current location, informed consent or refusal, and information about the patient’s complaints, concerns, questions, and progress since the last visit.