Hello Reader,

Tuesday Telehealth Tip: Telehealth for Every Patient

Welcome to Part 3 of our October series on tech in behavioral health. In Part 1, we got your systems talking to each other. Last week, we used that setup to make measurement-based care run itself. This week, we’re asking an awkward question: does any of it work for the client on the other end?

Your telehealth setup was probably tested by someone with a good laptop, fast Wi-Fi, and a quiet office. Your clients have a cracked phone with 4% battery, one bar of signal in a parked car, and a data plan that runs out on the 22nd. And yes, there’s still the client with the flip phone who will tell you, at length, that smartphones are a surveillance device. (They’re not entirely wrong.)

If they can’t connect, they can’t come to therapy. Here are three takeaways for behavioral health organizations:

1. Audio-only is real care, and it’s here to stay

Phone sessions aren’t a backup plan you’re embarrassed about. For behavioral health, Medicare has made audio-only telehealth a permanent option when a client can’t use video or doesn’t want to. That matters for older adults, rural clients, folks with limited data, and anyone who just talks more openly when nobody is looking at them.

A few things to get right: document why the session was audio-only, confirm your billing team is using the correct audio-only codes and modifiers, and check each commercial payer’s rules, since they don’t all match Medicare.

​See the current federal telehealth policy updates →​

And yes, phone sessions can be HIPAA compliant. Read HHS guidance on audio-only telehealth →​

2. Design for the smallest screen, not the biggest

Before you add anything new, test the basics on the worst phone in your office:

• Can a client join from a text message link without downloading an app or creating an account?
• Is there a dial-in number for when video won’t load?
• Are captions or interpreter options available for clients who need them?
• Is it clear what to do if the call drops?

If you need a sticky note to explain it, your clients will need a phone call to figure it out.

3. Do the tech check before the first session, not during it

The first ten minutes of a first session shouldn’t be spent saying “can you hear me now?” A quick five-minute call from your front desk before intake fixes most problems: what device will you use, where will you be, is anyone else in the room, and what number should we call if the video drops? Ask if they’d like a family member or caregiver nearby to help them get in. Providers and even patients get this routinely from us at Secure Telehealth.

​See HHS tips on preparing patients for Telehealth →​

Where Secure Telehealth comes in

Zoom for Healthcare already handles a lot of this: joining from a browser, phone dial-in, captions, and interpretation. The trick is setting it up so clients can actually find and use those options. Secure Telehealth configures your Zoom for Healthcare account for every kind of client, builds the fallback plan into your reminders, and gives your front desk a simple pre-session tech check script. When a client calls in a panic five minutes before their session, there’s a person to help, not a help article.

This week’s tip: Take out your oldest phone, open your next appointment reminder, and try to join a test session using only that phone. Time how long it takes. That number is your client’s first impression.

Missed the earlier parts?​
​Part 1: Your EHR Should Play Well With Others →​
​Part 2: Outcomes Without Spreadsheets →​

Next Tuesday: The series finale on security and AI. Everyone wants the AI note-taker. Fewer people want to read the fine print about where the recordings go. We’ll do it for you.

Talk soon,
Dan Mountain

P.S. Wondering how many clients are quietly dropping off because getting connected is too hard? Fill out this form and we will be in touch regarding our Virtual Care Operations Assessment→ We’ll walk through your setup from your client’s side of the screen and prepare an action plan to save time, make more money and make your Virtual Care Program efficient!

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