What Features Should You Look for When Choosing a Telehealth Platform?

If you are just starting out as a Telehealth OT provider, the question of which platform to use for sessions can be a hard decision. Do you need a platform with electronic medical records (EMR)? One that can handle billing? Scheduling options? Specific tech features? These are all things to consider when shopping around for a new platform.

When browsing through platforms, here are a few things to consider when choosing what’s best for your practice.

1. No matter what type of platform you are looking for, whether it be telehealth-only, EMR-only, or a combination of both, a top priority is HIPAA compliancy. Ensuring that the platform you select is HIPAA compliant is important for both your patient’s privacy and your own liability. When researching platforms, look for the companies Signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA), which indicates that they are HIPAA compliant.

2. Platform tends to have tiered pricing, which typically follow a free, basic, and professional trend. Paying attention to specific features of each level is important in determining which tier you will need.

3. Considering your clients experience is important when selecting a platform. Easy access for clients is ideal, and features like a direct link to a call can be easier than logging in to a platform. Some platforms have mobile apps as well, which can be beneficial on the go. Having a patient portal can also be useful for keeping documentation, uploads, notes, etc.

4. Easy scheduling features for both the provider and the client is important. Platforms with built-in scheduling allow for everything to be done in one place, and often come with text or email reminders for upcoming sessions. Another scheduling feature to look for is whether or not the provider can sync an outside calendar.

5. As far as the administrative side of your practice, things to consider are documentation and billing features. Platforms that offer documentation filing, storage, and uploads, digital paperwork, and assessments allow for easier access for both the providers and the clients.

6. No matter how user-friendly a platform may be, having support is always important. When searching through platforms, it is good to consider what their customer service is like. Look for things like support, tutorials, demos, or training on company sites.

If you’re still not sure where to start, here’s a list of companies to check out, whether you are in search of Telehealth-only, EMR only, or EMR with Telehealth.

Telehealth-only companies:

• Zoom for Healthcare
• me
• GoToMeeting
• BetterTelehealth
• VSee
• Microsoft Teams

EMR only:

• ClinicSource
• WebPT

EMR with Telehealth:

• Fusion Web Clinic
• SimplePractice
• Thera-LINK
• Theraplatform
• Hello Note