Creating a visually appealing background for your telehealth practice

Introduction to telehealth

In the past couple of decades, the use of technology to deliver healthcare services (a process known as telehealth) has significantly grown in popularity. This type of health system allows practitioners to provide medical care services to patients in need from the comfort of their homes, improving accessibility, communication, and, in some cases, even clinical outcomes.

The equipment and resources required to operate telehealth services successfully at your business vary depending on the healthcare field you work in and how large your practice is. Most companies employ practice management software to streamline administrative tasks and manage areas like patient Average Visit (PVA). Still, there are additional factors you need to consider, including the physical background of your remote workspace during telehealth visits from your patients.

Telecommunications technology plays a pivotal role in enabling the delivery of healthcare services through telehealth, encompassing everything from direct patient care to health-related education services like diabetes management and nutrition courses.

Benefits of telemedicine

Following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in telehealth usage has significantly enhanced the delivery of clinical care across various specialties, resulting in a wide range of benefits for healthcare businesses.

Lesser no-shows

Since telehealth means people don't have to leave their homes to receive patient care, no-shows have significantly reduced. Patients no longer have to worry about transport, getting time off work, or finding childcare, and as a result, are much more likely to attend all of their appointments.

Fewer out-of-network transfers

When patients need to see specialists, they are often transferred to geographically convenient out-of-network providers. Telehealth providers reduce the likelihood of this happening, as a provider's geographical location no longer plays a role, and you can keep your referrals within your network.

Low costs of healthcare delivery

Although the telehealth technology you use and specific equipment will cost money, these costs will be significantly reduced in the long run. These are about overhead expenses, including rent and physical facilities, less need for administrative staff, and going paperless. After you have reduced these costs, you can take another look at setting the correct prices at your practice.

Ability to provide health services to more patients

Telehealth eliminates accessibility barriers, meaning you can see more patients. Additionally, because you won’t have limitations on treatment rooms and physical capacities, you will likely have room to attend to more patients. By removing geographical barriers, telehealth supports a variety of clinical practices, enabling healthcare providers to offer their services to a broader audience.

More time for patients

Practitioners also benefit from not having to go to the clinic to treat their patients. Instead, they can remain in their own homes and organize their schedule to spend more time with their patients and meet their needs.

What does a virtual background say about your telehealth practice?

Even though you can remain at home, offering telehealth still requires a physical environment policy for your healthcare business. To make a good impression on your patients, you need to consider what virtual background is the most appropriate.

When conducting your services with patients, you want to ensure they feel confident in your professional capabilities and that your environment reflects this well. This means working in a well-lit area with a high-quality camera, microphone, and good technology.

Guaranteeing these aspects will generate an effective virtual background, indicating to your patient that their treatment will be as productive using telehealth as in person. Moving to telehealth is an understandably daunting prospect for both patients and practitioners, and focusing on these small things will help make the change as seamless as possible. 

Tips to create a visually appealing telehealth background

You can employ different strategies to ensure your background visually appeals to patients. These include:

Ensure the room is well-lit

Operating your virtual sessions from a well-lit space is extremely important because body language is much more challenging to read when not in person; this will allow your patients to see you more clearly and pick up cues from your body language.

Take note of the colors surrounding you

The colors surrounding your workspace can significantly impact patients. While the right colors aren't necessarily a d, you don't want you or your patients to be distracted by the background. Opting for a minimalist space with a cohesive color scheme is a good option.

Avoid backgrounds with photo/video

Most virtual video calling systems can use a customized photo or video as your background. While this can be fun when you move around t, the photo will also shift, and the image of you can be cut off or choppy. This is both a distraction to patients and appears unprofessional. 

Visually optimize your screen

To optimize your screen visually, turn the brightness and enlarge the screen size. This allows you to focus more clearly on the patient and interact with them appropriately. It is also a good idea to encourage patients to do the same—you want to foster an environment as close to being in-person as possible, requiring both parties to have their full attention during the session.

Optimizing your screen is a fantastic way to engage with your patients and generate patient loyalty. 

Choose professional clothing like you would at your clinic

Even though you are at home, you should always remain professional, which means wearing professionally appropriate clothing, similar to that worn by medical professionals. Approaching telehealth sessions in the same way as in-person sessions helps establish you as a reputable business.

It also has the advantage of appearing prepared and professional, two necessary factors, especially when dealing with difficult patients.

Use a good therapist chair

Investing in a good therapist chair will provide you with more comfort during the day and allow you to easily adjust the height to switch between your laptop and desktop.

Background ideas for therapists giving virtual healthcare services

While the previous section focused on general visual appeal, your background should provide a calming and professional environment for virtual therapy sessions. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Natural serenity: A calming nature scene, like a soft forest landscape or a gentle ocean view, can create a sense of peace and tranquility for you and your patients.
• Minimalist elegance: A clean bookshelf with curated books or a simple, solid color background can convey professionalism while remaining visually uncluttered.
• Warm ambiance: Using a physical background, consider incorporating warm lighting and light-colored walls to create a more inviting atmosphere.

Remember, the key is personalizing your background to reflect your practice style while remaining professional and non-distracting for your patients.

Being prepared for technical challenges during telehealth sessions

Even with the most sophisticated technology, it is highly likely that you will encounter some technical difficulties during your telehealth sessions. While these occurrences are stressful, you should be able to quickly and effectively resolve them with the proper protocols in place.

Testing your system (and microphone/camera) and asking patients to do the same is an excellent preventative measure. Additionally, you should ensure that the telehealth vendor you have in place has accessible and flexible customer support to help you resolve any issues you may face.

Lastly, running a Wi-Fi test at the beginning of each day is good practice to determine whether your internet connection is stable enough for virtual telemedicine sessions. It's also crucial to emphasize the importance of maintaining the security of patient data, especially during technical difficulties, to comply with HIPAA regulations and ensure patient trust.

Final thoughts

Although using telehealth means you can work from the comfort of your own home, you still need to consider the physical environment of your workspace. Many factors, including color, lighting, space, sound, and potential distractions, contribute to this. To minimize the risk of your patient not being engaged in their session, you must act like all your telehealth video calls are just like in-person appointments.

Coming to the session prepared and professional will demonstrate your reliability and help to make patients comfortable and confident in your services. Additionally, the role of human services in setting standards and guidelines for telehealth practices underscores the importance of a professional background in ensuring compliance with these regulations.