- Launching a video session
- Adjusting your audio settings
- Adjusting your video settings
- Layout Options / Picture-in-Picture Mode
- Sending chat messages during your session
- Screen sharing
- Video Chat in Messenger
- Telehealth Video Chat Settings
- Tracking the duration of your telehealth session
Launching a video session
Click on the scheduled online/video session you’d like to start. You will be brought to your session details. Sessions booked for online/video chat will have a Start session button in the top right corner. Click here to start your session.
Optionally, you can find shortcut links to start your session on your My Bookings page and your client's individual Bookings page:
Starting your video session
Even though your video conference page has opened, you still are not in an active session. Once you are situated and ready to begin, click on Start session at the top right-hand corner of your screen.
Your session will be underway once your client has also accepted your request to join the session. If your client is in the waiting room, they'll be automatically added to the session once it starts.
Adjusting your audio settings
Muting/unmuting
If you’d like to mute yourself simply click on the microphone icon at the bottom of your video conference screen. You will see a line through the microphone when it is muted. To unmute, hit the microphone icon again. If the microphone detects your voice, this will be reflected in the microphone icon.
Unmuted audio
Muted audio
Switching your microphone and speaker
If you have multiple microphones or speakers connected to your device, you can easily switch between them by clicking the 3 dots underneath your microphone icon or the Settings icon in the top-right corner of your screen.
Video settings
Live video stream on/off
If you’d like to turn off your video camera so that participants can’t see you, click on the video camera icon at the bottom of your video conference screen. You will see a line through the video camera icon once your camera is turned off. The live stream of yourself on your screen will also be disabled. To turn your video camera back on, click the video camera icon again.
Adjusting your video settings
In desktop mode, you can adjust more video settings by clicking on the 3 dots below the video camera icon. Here, you'll be able to:
- Switch between webcams
- Adjust the video quality (maximum resolution)
- Toggle video mirroring (flipping your webcam horizontally)
- Switch between layouts
- Adjust the blur or virtual background
Layout Options
- Spotlight participant maximizes the participant's video. You can also click and drag your video anywhere within the telehealth window.
- Side-by-side will display both you and the participant's video side by side.
- Side bar is most useful when either participant is screen sharing. With the side bar option, you can see both you and the participant, as well as the shared screen.
Virtual Backgrounds
Our virtual background effect allows you to display an image behind you during your session. Optionally, you can enable the blur effect that blurs the background behind you. Both effects can be enabled by selecting Virtual Background from the 3 dots menu below the video icon or from the Settings popup.
Click on the blur option or one of the preset backgrounds then click Update to apply the effect.
The virtual background feature is available in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge desktop browsers.
Picture-in-Picture Mode
Picture-in-Picture mode lets you view the other participant in a floating window while using another browser tab or application during your video session. This is useful, for example, if you’d like to edit your notes during a session with your client.
To launch Picture-in-Picture mode, click on the icon as shown below:
Once you have launched Picture-in-Picture, you can resize or move the floating window around your screen.
Picture-in-Picture mode is currently available in Chrome, Safari, and Edge browsers.
Chat
Click on the chat icon at the bottom of your video conference screen if you’d like to display your chat for this session. Once the chat is open, you can type into the chat field to communicate with your client in real-time. If you’d like to hide chat, click the chat icon again.
The chat window appears on the right edge of the screen on desktop and in a popup window on mobile browsers.
Screen sharing
Share your screen by clicking the Share screen button at the top right-hand side of your video session. Select the screen you’d like to share and click Share. When you’d like to stop sharing your screen, simply click Stop screen sharing. Learn more about sharing documents during video chat sessions.
Screen sharing in Google Chrome
Screen sharing in Firefox
After clicking the Share screen button, you will be prompted to select a screen to share in the top-left corner. Select your screen then click Allow to begin your screen share.
Full-Screen View
If you’d like to maximize your video session to fit your screen, click on more options (three dots) at the top right-hand corner of your screen and select Full Screen. Click Exit Full Screen when you’re ready to go back to your regular viewing screen.
Ending a session
To end a video session, click on the red Exit icon at the bottom of your screen. Ending a session is only available to practitioners.
Video Chat in Messenger
You’ll notice that you can also launch a video chat from your Messenger. From any chat screen, you’ll find a video camera icon in the chat title bar. Click the video chat icon to begin a video session.
Video chats launched from your Messenger work the same as explained above, except they are not linked to specific appointments.
Telehealth Video Chat Settings
Your video conference screen will open in the same tab, a new tab, or a pop-up, depending on your setting preferences. You can configure your preference in Settings > Telehealth & Messaging:
If you’d like to use Practice Better Telehealth to run video sessions, make sure Use Practice Better for my online/video chat sessions is selected. This ensures clients receive instructions to join their scheduled video session in reminder emails.
Adjusting Audio and Video Settings
You may notice the other participant is not seeing or hearing you within your session. You can try adjusting the device(s) used to capture your audio and video by clicking on the Settings icon within your call.
- If the other participant is not hearing you, try adjusting the Microphone setting. The green bar underneath your microphone settings will respond if it detects your voice.
- If the other participant is not seeing you, try selecting another available web cam on your device.
- If you are not hearing the other participant, try adjusting the Speakers setting. You can click Test speakers to see if your selected speaker is working correctly. If it is, you will hear a doorbell sound.
For more troubleshooting steps, visit our help article here.
Tracking the duration of your telehealth session
The duration for Practice Better Telehealth sessions is tracked automatically based on when you start and end the session.
For more information on tracking the duration of your telehealth sessions, visit our help article here.
Comments
9 comments
Is there a way to start an impromtu video session with no fee? Sometimes I would like a quick free session video chat with no further bookings as I am screening the potential client. I have many times when I want video chat with no fee or bookings for future formal appointments. Thanks
Hi Anthony
Yes, as long as your client has access to the Client Portal, you can start an impromptu video session by going to the Secure Messenger, then clicking the Start video chat icon in the top right corner of the chat window:
Your client will receive a notification to join the impromptu session.
As mentioned, your client would need to be invited to join Practice Better and activate an account.
If you decide not to see the client in the future, you can either deactivate or delete their client record from the system.
Hope this helps.
In health,
Team @ Practice Better
Is there any way to record video sessions with clients so they can go back and rewatch the information shared?
Hi Caitlin,
At the moment, we don't have support for recording video sessions, but it is something we're considering for a future update.
In health,
Team @ Practice Better
I just tested the video tonight. What a great built-in feature!
I agree recording would be a great option to have available. I'm taking a class that will require me to record and submit my sessions so that would be helpful.
I would also like to have recording capability, otherwise I will have to use something like Zoom, which I would rather not have to do.
I'd love to have recording as well. It's helpful to be able to listen to a session again afterwards sometimes - esp. if there's a lot of trauma/complexity for the client and you want to remain eye contact instead of typing notes.
It would also be very helpful for conducting online programs that need a replay to be sent.
Can you use the video chat for several people at once?
Thanks
I vote for recording as well!
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