Creating a Visually Appealing Background for Your Telehealth Practice

Introduction to telehealth

In the past couple of decades, the use of technology to deliver healthcare services (a process known as telehealth) has significantly grown in popularity. This type of health system allows practitioners to provide medical care services to patients in need beyond the therapy office. Now, professionals can do it from the comfort of their homes, improving accessibility, communication, and, in some cases, even clinical outcomes.

The equipment and resources required to successfully operate telehealth services or remote therapy sessions vary depending on the healthcare field you work in and how large your practice is. Most companies employ practice management software to streamline administrative tasks and manage areas like patient average visits (PVA). Still, there are additional factors you need to consider, including the background image of your remote workspace during telehealth sessions.

Benefits of telehealth

Following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in telehealth usage has significantly enhanced the delivery of clinical care across various specialties, resulting in a wide range of benefits for healthcare businesses.

Lesser no-shows

Since telehealth means people don't have to leave their homes to visit a physical office or clinic to receive patient care, no-shows have significantly reduced. Patients no longer have to worry about transport, getting time off work, or finding childcare, and as a result, are much more likely to attend all of their appointments.

Fewer out-of-network transfers

When patients need to see specialists, they are often transferred to geographically convenient out-of-network providers. Telehealth providers reduce the likelihood of this happening, as a provider's geographical location no longer plays a role, and you can keep your referrals within your network.

Ability to provide health services to more patients

Telehealth eliminates accessibility barriers, meaning you can see more patients. Additionally, because you won't have limitations on treatment rooms and physical capacities, you will likely have room to attend to more patients.

More time for patients

Practitioners also benefit from not having to go to the clinic to treat their patients. Instead, they can remain in their own homes and organize their schedule to spend more time with their patients and meet their needs.

What does a virtual background say about your practice?

Even though you can remain at home, offering telehealth still requires a physical environment policy for your healthcare business. To make a good impression on your patients, you need to consider what telehealth tools or Zoom virtual backgrounds are the most appropriate.

When conducting your services with patients, you want to ensure they feel confident in your professional capabilities and that your environment reflects this well. This means working in a well-lit area with a high-quality camera, microphone, and good technology.

Guaranteeing these aspects will generate an effective virtual background, indicating to your patient that their treatment will be as productive using telehealth as in person. Moving to telehealth is an understandably daunting prospect for both patients and practitioners and focusing on these small things will help make the change as seamless as possible.

Tips to create a visually appealing telehealth background

You can employ different strategies to ensure your background is visually appealing and patients feel comfortable. These include the following:

Ensure the room is well-lit

Operating your virtual sessions from a well-lit space or a room with soft lighting or natural light is extremely important. This is because body language is much more challenging to read when not in person. This will allow your patients to see you more clearly and pick up cues from your body language.

Take note of the colors surrounding you

The colors surrounding your workspace can significantly impact patients. While the right colors aren't necessarily a specific need, you don't want you or your patients to be distracted by the background. Opting for a minimalist space with a cohesive color scheme is a good option.

Avoid backgrounds with photo/video

Most virtual video calling systems can use a customized photo or video as your background. While this can be fun when you move around, the photo will also shift, and the image of you can be cut off or choppy. This is both a distraction to patients and can appear unprofessional. 

Visually optimize your screen

To optimize your screen visually, turn the brightness and enlarge the screen size. This allows you to focus more clearly on the patient and interact with them appropriately. It is also a good idea to encourage patients to do the same—you want to foster an environment as close to being in-person as possible, requiring both parties to have their full attention during the session.

Optimizing your screen is a fantastic way to engage with your patients and generate patient loyalty. 

Choose professional clothing like you would at your clinic

Even though you are at home, you should always remain professional, which means wearing professionally appropriate clothing, similar to that worn by medical professionals. Approaching telehealth sessions in the same way as in-person sessions helps establish you as a reputable business.

It also has the advantage of appearing prepared and professional, two necessary factors when dealing with difficult patients.

Use a good therapist chair

Investing in a good therapist chair will provide you with more comfort during the day and allow you to easily adjust the height to switch between your laptop and desktop.

Background ideas for therapists giving virtual healthcare services

While the previous section focused on general visual appeal, your background should provide a calming and professional environment for virtual therapy sessions. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Natural serenity: A calming nature scene, like a soft forest landscape or a gentle ocean view, can create a sense of peace and tranquility for you and your patients.
• Minimalist elegance: A clean bookshelf with curated books or a simple, solid color background can convey professionalism while remaining visually uncluttered.
• Warm ambiance: To create a more inviting atmosphere, consider using a physical background and incorporating warm lighting and light-colored walls.

The key is personalizing your background to reflect your practice style while remaining professional and non-distracting for your patients.

Final thoughts

Although using telehealth means you can work from the comfort of your own home, you still need to consider the physical environment of your workspace. Many factors contribute to this, including color, lighting, space, sound, and potential distractions. To minimize the risk of your patient not being engaged in their session, you must treat all your telehealth video calls like in-person appointments.

Coming to the session prepared and professional will demonstrate your reliability and help to make patients comfortable and confident in your services. Considering the benefits of telehealth services, it is important to reinforce their advantages, including presenting yourself well in these settings.