7 tips to support communication between doctors and patients during telemedicine sessions

According to a recent journal article and the CMO of RWJBarnabas Health, there are seven tips for clinicians to ensure good communication during telehealth visits.

The number of telemedicine visits increased exponentially during the coronavirus pandemic and remains well above pre-pandemic levels.

According to a studyThe rate of telemedicine visits among privately insured U.S. adults increased from 0.3% of all healthcare visits in March 2019 to 23.6% of visits in June 2020.

A recent Magazine articlepublished by the Journal of the American Medical Associationprovides four tips to help clinicians communicate well during telemedicine visits, and Andy AndersonMD, MBA, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical and Quality Officer at RWJBarnabas Healthoffers three more.

1. Wait a second or two

According to the magazine article experiment found that the time between one person speaking and the next person in a conversation increased from 135 milliseconds in face-to-face conversations to 487 milliseconds in video-based conversations.

“These findings suggest that physicians should give patients a second or two more time to answer questions during video telemedicine encounters than may seem natural,” the journal article states.

According to Anderson, it is often advisable to give patients more time to answer their questions during telemedicine visits.

“If a patient seems hesitant or needs more time, give them that time,” says Anderson. “The doctor should proceed at a pace that is comfortable for the patient and give them time to answer questions.”

2. Start a telemedicine visit with small talk

According to the journal article, a doctor should begin a telemedicine visit with small talk.

One study found that “friendly conversations,” including small talk, created a positive connection between pediatric cancer patients and oncologists.

“This speaks to the value of beginning a telehealth session with a small talk prompt, such as ‘How has your day been so far?'” the journal article states.

According to Anderson, starting a telemedicine visit with small talk is just as helpful as starting an in-person visit.

“Having a personal connection and getting the patient to talk about something warms them up,” says Anderson. “It makes the telehealth visit feel more like a normal, in-person conversation.”

3. Convey a professional image

Choosing an appropriate virtual background, such as a picture of a doctor’s office, can help build a doctor’s credibility during a telemedicine visit, according to the journal article.

An online training study examined how students responded to their lecturers’ virtual backgrounds. The study found that personal virtual backgrounds made male students perceive the lecturer to be less caring and trustworthy.

“Institutional or professional virtual backgrounds can help build credibility,” the journal article states.

Regardless of whether a doctor’s background during a telemedicine visit is virtual or real, Anderson said it should be professional.

“It can be an office or an exam room,” says Anderson. “The doctor shouldn’t be sitting in their living room watching TV, for example. As long as the background is professional, whether it’s a real background or a virtual background with the name of the health care system, either is fine.”

4. Try to make eye contact

Especially for patients undergoing telemedicine treatment for the first time, doctors should look directly into the camera and explain why they may need to avert their gaze to take notes or perform other necessary tasks, the journal article says.

Anderson also emphasized the importance of doctors looking into the camera during telemedicine visits.

“Ideally, you should have good eye contact,” says Anderson. “If you have to look away, you can tell the patient that you are going to write something down or look at the computer.”

Other proven methods

According to Anderson, there are three other best practices for clinicians to optimize communication during telehealth visits.

The telehealth visit should be treated the same as an in-person visit in terms of some of the basic principles, such as giving the patient the opportunity to talk and tell their story. Other basic principles include listening carefully to the patient and giving them time to ask questions.

In terms of appearance and dress code, the doctor should dress professionally. Professional clothing can increase the doctor’s credibility.

Finally, a doctor should make sure the patient is comfortable with the virtual visit technology, including using the camera, speaking, and hearing the doctor. Reviewing the technology is an important part of the visit to make sure it works well for the patient.