H ow do you deliver the same personalized care and experience of an in-person visit through a telemedicine platform? While most of the tele-visit techniques are user-intuitive and straightforward, it is critical that you observe some of the intricacies and the nuances of telemedicine etiquette; these guidelines could make a huge difference to the Patient Satisfaction Index (PSI), patient collaboration and ultimately boost your telemedicine revenues.

Here are a few tips to help you get started.

1. Choose the Right Technology.
These are the three things you need to ensure you have in place: a trusted HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform, quality webcam and a high-speed internet connection. It is best if the patient has access to the same features, considering its significance to be able to see and hear your patients. An ideal internet speed would be a minimum of 15Mbps download and 5Mbps upload. Have your patients test their webcams, video and audio quality and the internet connection before joining the tele-session.

2. Webcam at Eye Level.
You are trying to deliver a seamless experience, more like an in-person visit, after all. It is best to make eye contact with your patients while discussing your patients’ concerns and treatments.

3. Create a Professional Space for your Telehealth Services.
A quiet, undisturbed environment will look professional on a video-visit. Before a patient visits, ensure that you clean up all the clutter, have a neat and clean background and provide a welcoming atmosphere for the patient.

4. Always Be on Time.
Wait times have a negative impact on patient experience and will directly affect the patient satisfaction scores. Research indicates that an average patient waits for 40 minutes before the doctor’s visit. This is one of the important reasons why patients prefer a virtual visit, so don’t keep them waiting on their computer too.

5. Wear Appropriate Attire.
Even when working from your home office, it is best that you follow some dressing etiquette to exude professionalism and instill much confidence in your patients. Dress how you would for an in-person visit to the Doctor’s office.

6. Be Prepared beforehand.
Be well-informed and equipped with your patient’s complaint sheets and charts-to deliver a hassle-free patient experience and make the most out of your tele-visit.

7. Communication is the Key.
Look into the webcam rather than your patient’s face on the screen to make eye contact with them. Also, let them know that you are all ears to them—by asking the right questions and nodding while they speak. This can make a difference by making patients feel important and heard. Remember that patients are attentive to your body language even when you are not speaking.

8. Let them Know when you need to look away.
When you take notes or document details as required, tell them when you need to look away from the screen and let them know you are still listening to them.

9. Make Room for Lag Time.
You might come across lag time during patient interactions due to unavoidable reasons. You should give them a few seconds for any clarifications or final discussions before wrapping up the conversation.

10. Clarify Post-appointment instructions.
Be very clear on the post-appointment instructions, whether they need to schedule a follow-up appointment at a specific time or a prescription that they need to pick up. Just let them know the to-dos once before you wind up.

Now, you are all set to create lasting patient relationships through telemedicine services!

Also Read

• 7 Fool-proof Ways to Improve Telemedicine Practice Revenues
• The Ultimate Guide to Improve Telemedicine Reimbursements
• 6 Ways Telehealth Services Improve Financial Results of your Practice

Final Thoughts

As the healthcare continuum comes together to combat the global health crisis as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, telemedicine proves a significant weapon in connecting people, physicians and health systems.

SolvEdge understands its social responsibility as a trusted health technology company for 15+ years and has taken a special initiative to help care providers fight COVID-19—by providing free telemedicine services for the next few months.

SolvEdge’s patient engagement platform—RippleCARE is a proven and successful solution used by over 450 hospitals, 3500 physicians and over 3.4 M patients worldwide. Using RippleCARE, our clients have seen significant results including 23% reduced no-shows, 41% increased revenues, 23% improved patient satisfaction and much more.

This success formula is now available at an absolutely no cost, no contract and no commitment model for a limited time during the COVID-19 outbreak.

To avail our telemedicine platform to boost your practice revenues, reach out to us at +1-(833) 33-Solve / business@solvedge.com