Environmental Considerations for Effective Telehealth Encounters: A Narrative Review and Implications for Best Practice

Background:Due to the reduction in-person visits, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to expansions in the use of telehealth technology to provide patient care, yet clinicians lack evidence-based guidance on how to most effectively use video communication to enhance patient experience and outcomes.

Methods:A narrative review was conducted to describe environmental factors derived from research in social psychology and human-computer interaction (HCI) that may guide effective video-based clinician-patient telehealth communication.

Results:Factors such as nonverbal cues, spatial proximity, professionalism cues, and ambient features play an important role in patient experience. We present a visual typology of telehealth backgrounds to inform clinical practice and guide future research.

Discussion:A growing body of empirical evidence indicates that environmental cues may play an essential role in establishing psychological safety, improving patient experience, and supporting clinical efficacy in these virtual experiences.

Conclusion:The expanded use of telehealth visits suggests the need for further research on the relative effects of these environmental factors on patient experience and outcomes.