PC1259: Addressing the Needs of Patients, Providers and Communities Through Improved Telehealth Etiquette and Equity Education

Purpose/Objectives: The rapid expansion of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic thrust providers into virtual care, often with little or no education or training. Telehealth etiquette and webside manner skills are essential for a successful encounter. This session will provide strategies for effective engagement and include a framework for telehealth providers to ensure attention to the many important details related to conducting a successful telehealth encounter. Important concepts including maintaining the standard of care through virtual visits, ensuring health equity, overcoming the digital divide, and important aspects of both patient and provider education will be reviewed. Evidence supporting the most effective types of education to enhance provider adoption and utilization of telehealth will be highlighted.

Design/Methods: Based on the results from a national survey of healthcare providers, which was distributed through telehealth, pediatric, school-based, and e-Health law listservs, training initiatives have been developed to address the need for high-quality telehealth education to support the adoption and sustainability of telehealth services. The survey instrument, the Telehealth Provider Adoption Survey (T-PAS), forms the basis for the collection of baseline provider knowledge and attitude data while also supporting the development of case-based provider education delivered through didactic and experiential training. Coupled with the resulting framework, the Performance, Environment, Privacy/Security (PEP) Model of Telehealth Etiquette, these models address essential components of successful virtual encounters that can be replicated.

Results: An analysis of the 224 respondents found that telehealth education is essential for increasing provider levels of perceived usefulness, knowledge, self-efficacy, frequency of telehealth use, and satisfaction with telehealth clinical service. Most respondents had received telehealth education (n = 160, 71.4%), with the majority reporting on-the-spot education (n = 98, 43.8%), followed by vendor education (n=82, 36.6%). Only 16 respondents (7.1%) reported having received formal university education. Lessons learned from subsequent curriculum integration with providers and trainees show a continued need to address etiquette, equity, and efficacy issues through formal education to secure telehealth adoption. The T-PAS and PEP models have been extended to additional learners as part of formal certification and competency initiatives.

Conclusion/Discussion: Telehealth etiquette encompasses the critical interpersonal skills necessary to conduct a successful telehealth visit, while webside manner refers to a clinician’s way of interacting with patients virtually to enhance comfort. Incorrectly, these skills are often seen as intuitive. Utilizing a framework supports clinicians and educators to effectively address all components of telehealth etiquette. Utilizing formal survey, curriculum, and evaluation processes, such as T-PAS and PEP, ensures that providers are receiving necessary training that provides meaningful improvements in patient care and outcomes tracking.