Is your telehealth setup up to snuff? 7 quick checkpoints for practices

Telehealth is no longer an emergency patch; it’s a front-door service channel that patients expect to work every bit as cleanly as a clinic visit. Yet many practices still rely on makeshift webcams, home-office lighting and “free-for-now” video software stitched into their EHRs with duct tape and goodwill. The cracks show quickly: choppy audio erodes patient confidence, unsecured links expose protected health information, and mismatched billing codes can leave thousands of dollars on the table.

Regulators are paying attention, too; Medicare’s latest telehealth parity rules, state cross-licensure compacts and ransomware reporting mandates mean a single dropped call can have legal and financial fallout that lasts long after the visit ends.

Before your next virtual appointment, run your setup through these seven checkpoints. Each one tackles a common blind spot so administrators can spot weaknesses and make fixes before they cost reputation, revenue or regulatory standing.