Telehealth Etiquette Training: A Guideline for Preparing Interprofessional Teams for Successful Encounters.

Abstract

Telehealth technologies have increased in many health care settings. However, much of the training that occurs regarding telehealth is vendor driven. Training that is typically offered focuses on technical aspects of using telehealth equipment, legal issues, and reimbursement. Rarely does industry training involve soft skills or "screen side etiquette" unique to telehealth encounters. The purpose of this article is to present a training program that prepares students with the unique skill set necessary to conduct telehealth visits. A training program was developed to teach health care students (n = 103) proper telehealth etiquette. Preprogram and postprogram data were collected on students' understanding of telehealth etiquette. Results demonstrate significant improvement in knowledge in all areas of telehealth etiquette following the program. Students recognized some improper telehealth etiquette prior to the program but improved significantly following the program.