Practice Better's built-in telehealth makes it simple to connect with your clients for secure video sessions. This article answers the most common questions about how telehealth works, what you can do during sessions, and how to make the most of your virtual appointments.
In this article:
- Is Practice Better Telehealth included in my plan?
- Is Practice Better Telehealth HIPAA compliant?
- Do I or my clients need to download any software?
- What browsers work best for telehealth?
- Can I test my setup before my first real session?
- Can I have group sessions or multiple participants in one session?
- Can I run multiple telehealth sessions at the same time?
- Can I join a session early to set up my space?
- Can clients join the waiting room before the scheduled session time?
- Can I use telehealth for unscheduled or impromptu sessions?
- What happens if I accidentally end a session early?
- What happens if my internet connection drops during a session?
- Can clients share their screen during sessions?
- Can I share files during a video session?
- Are chat messages saved?
- Is there a whiteboard or annotation feature?
- Is there a whiteboard or annotation feature?
- Can I upload custom virtual backgrounds?
- Can I share a specific window or tab, or just my entire screen?
- Can I record my telehealth sessions?
- How much does the AI Charting Assistant cost?
- What if I forget to start recording at the beginning of the session?
- Where are recordings stored? Are there storage limits?
- Can I download my session recordings?
- Can clients access session recordings?
- What does the AI Charting Assistant do with recordings?
- Can I take notes during a session?
- I can't see the "Start Session" button. What should I do?
- My client can't see or hear me. What should I check?
- I'm on a Mac and certain features aren't working. What do I do?
- Can I use a different video platform instead of Practice Better Telehealth?
- If I use Zoom integration, do I lose any Practice Better features?
- Can I switch between Practice Better Telehealth and Zoom for different services?
Getting Started
Q: Is Practice Better Telehealth included in my plan?
A: Yes, telehealth is included with all paid Practice Better plans (Starter, Pro, Plus, and Team). It is not available on the free Sprout plan.
Q: Is Practice Better Telehealth HIPAA compliant?
A: Yes, Practice Better Telehealth is fully compliant with HIPAA, PIPEDA, PHIPA, and GDPR regulations. All video sessions are conducted over secure, encrypted connections to protect your privacy and maintain client confidentiality.
For detailed information about our security measures:
Q: Do I or my clients need to download any software?
A: No downloads are required. Practice Better Telehealth works directly in your web browser. However, clients must activate their Client Portal account and set up login credentials to join telehealth sessions.
- For clients: Activating Your Client Account
- For practitioners: Sending a Client Invitation in Practice Better
Q: What browsers work best for telehealth?
A: Practice Better Telehealth works best with the latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge. We recommend Google Chrome for the best performance and access to all features.
For complete compatibility information, see Telehealth System Requirements and Compatibility and Browser & Mobile App Compatibility.
⚠️ Important: Practice Better Telehealth does not work with Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera, or Brave browsers. Using unsupported browsers may prevent you from joining sessions.
Q: Can I test my setup before my first real session?
A: Yes! Practitioners can create a test client and book a telehealth appointment with them. When you start the session, you can verify your camera, microphone, and settings work properly, even if the test client doesn't join.
You can also use these quick online tests:
Learn more in Telehealth System Requirements and Compatibility.
Session Capabilities
Q: Can I have group sessions or multiple participants in one session?
A: No, Practice Better's built-in telehealth only supports one-on-one sessions between a practitioner and a single client.
If you need to conduct group sessions, you can use our Zoom integration by connecting your own Zoom account. Learn more in Using Zoom for Telehealth.
Q: Can I run multiple telehealth sessions at the same time?
A: No, you can only conduct one telehealth session at a time in Practice Better.
Q: Can I join a session early to set up my space?
A: Yes! Practitioners can join a telehealth session as soon as it's booked to set up their virtual space, test their camera and microphone, or prepare materials. Clients won't receive any notification when you join early.
Q: Can clients join the waiting room before the scheduled session time?
A: Yes, clients can click "Join session" before the scheduled time. However, they won't see anything to interact with until the practitioner starts the session on their end.
Q: Can I use telehealth for unscheduled or impromptu sessions?
A: Yes! You can start an instant video chat directly from Practice Better's secure Messenger. Click the video camera icon in any chat conversation to begin an impromptu video session.
Learn more in Using Video Chat on Practice Better.
📍 Note: Video chats started from Messenger use the same interface as scheduled telehealth sessions, but recording and note-taking features are not available. For full functionality, schedule a telehealth appointment.
Q: What happens if I accidentally end a session early?
A: Don't worry — you can restart the session if you end it accidentally. Simply click the Start session button again from the appointment details to reconnect.
Q: What happens if my internet connection drops during a session?
A: If your connection drops, you can rejoin the session once your internet is stable again. Any recording in progress will be saved and processed automatically.
📍 Note: If you enable recording again after rejoining, a second audio recording will be created for the same session.
Features and Functionality
Q: Can clients share their screen during sessions?
A: No, only practitioners can share their screen during telehealth sessions. Clients can view shared content, but can't share their own screen.
Learn more in Sharing your screen during video chat sessions.
Q: Can I share files during a video session?
A: Yes! Both practitioners and clients can send images and other small files through Practice Better's secure Messenger during sessions.
Q: Are chat messages saved?
A: Yes, all messages sent during sessions are saved in Practice Better's secure Messenger, where you can review your complete chat history with each client.
Q: Is there a whiteboard or annotation feature?
A: No, Practice Better Telehealth does not currently include a whiteboard or annotation tool.
Q: Can I upload custom virtual backgrounds?
A: No, you can't upload custom backgrounds. Practice Better provides a selection of preset virtual backgrounds and a blur effect that you can choose from during your session.
Learn more in Using Video Chat on Practice Better.
📍 Note: Virtual backgrounds are available in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge desktop browsers.
Q: Can I share a specific window or tab, or just my entire screen?
A: You have flexible screen sharing options! You can share your entire screen, a specific application window, or a specific browser tab. The available options may vary slightly depending on which browser you're using.
Learn more in Sharing your screen during video chat sessions.
📍 Note: When you share your screen, your camera view is hidden from the client unless they enable Side Bar view in their video settings.
Recording and Documentation
Q: Can I record my telehealth sessions?
A: Yes! If you have the AI Charting Assistant add-on enabled, you can record the audio of your Practice Better Telehealth sessions. The recording button appears red when recording is in progress.
Q: How much does the AI Charting Assistant cost?
A: The first 600 minutes of recording are free. After that, it's just $0.60 per hour.
Learn more in AI Charting Assistant (AI Summary for Telehealth).
Q: What if I forget to start recording at the beginning of the session?
A: You can start recording at any point during the session. However, the recording will only capture audio from the moment you enable it forward — it won't include anything from before you pressed record.
Q: Where are recordings stored? Are there storage limits?
A: Recordings are stored securely on Practice Better's servers indefinitely, or until an account is closed with a data purge request. You don't need to worry about storage limits or managing space.
Q: Can I download my session recordings?
A: Yes! Practitioners can download audio recordings in M4A format and transcripts in CSV format.
Q: Can clients access session recordings?
A: No, session recordings are only accessible to practitioners. You may choose to share recordings with clients manually at your discretion, but they don't have automatic access.
Q: What does the AI Charting Assistant do with recordings?
A: The AI Charting Assistant provides automatic transcription of the session, AI-generated summaries of key discussion points, and auto-recognized action items. You can set up an Automation in Practice Better to automatically generate a session note from the recording.
Learn more in AI Charting Assistant (AI Summary for Telehealth).
Q: Can I take notes during a session?
A: Yes! Practitioners can launch the Client Hub directly from the video chat window and add quick notes during the session. These notes are saved in the client's file for later access.
Learn more in Taking Notes During a Video Chat Session.
Mobile and Device Questions
Q: Can I use telehealth on my phone or tablet?
A: Yes, Practice Better Telehealth works on mobile devices (iOS 12.2+ and Android 8.0+), but with some limitations:
- No chat messaging (within telehealth).
- No screen sharing.
- Limited settings.
- No Picture-in-Picture mode.
- Device-dependent permissions.
Practitioners can still record sessions on mobile if they have the AI Charting Assistant enabled.
Learn more in Telehealth System Requirements and Compatibility.
💡 Tip: For the full telehealth experience with all features, we recommend using a desktop or laptop computer.
Q: What internet speed do I need for telehealth?
A: We recommend a minimum of 100 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed for smooth, high-quality video sessions.
You can test your internet speed using Speedtest by Ookla.
Learn more in Telehealth System Requirements and Compatibility.
Troubleshooting
Q: I can't see the "Start Session" button. What should I do?
A: The Start session button only appears if your session is set as an Online/Video session and your default video application is set to Use Practice Better.
Check your service settings or telehealth preferences to make sure both conditions are met. For step-by-step help, see Troubleshooting Missing Start Session Button in Telehealth Calls.
Q: My client can't see or hear me. What should I check?
A: First, verify that you've granted browser permissions for your camera and microphone. Then check that the correct devices are selected in your session settings.
For comprehensive troubleshooting steps, see:
- Enabling Camera and Microphone Permissions
- Troubleshooting Telehealth Session Issues in Practice Better
Q: I'm on a Mac and certain features aren't working. What do I do?
A: Mac users often need to grant additional system-level permissions for camera, microphone, and screen sharing access. See these articles for detailed instructions:
Alternative Platforms
Q: Can I use a different video platform instead of Practice Better Telehealth?
A: Yes! You can integrate Zoom by connecting your own Zoom account, or choose "Other" in your telehealth settings to use any third-party platform you prefer.
When you select "Other," you'll need to use your own preferred platform and provide clients with a custom method to join video calls outside of Practice Better.
Q: If I use Zoom integration, do I lose any Practice Better features?
A: No, you don't lose features! You can still use Practice Better's AI Charting Assistant to record and transcribe sessions when you use Zoom for telehealth sessions scheduled through Practice Better.
For a detailed comparison between the two platforms, see Practice Better Versus Zoom for Telehealth
Q: Can I switch between Practice Better Telehealth and Zoom for different services?
A: Yes! You can customize which telehealth platform to use on a per-service basis in your service settings. This gives you flexibility to use different platforms for different types of appointments.
Learn more in Creating a Telehealth appointment.
Getting More Help
Q: Where can I learn more about using Practice Better Telehealth?
A: We have comprehensive guides to help you get started:
- Using Video Chat on Practice Better – Complete guide to all telehealth features
- Creating a Telehealth appointment – How to schedule video sessions
- Enabling Camera and Microphone Permissions – Setting up your devices
- Telehealth System Requirements and Compatibility – Technical requirements and setup
Q: What if I'm still having trouble?
A: Our support team is here to help! If you've tried the troubleshooting steps in our help articles and are still experiencing issues, reach out to our support team for personalized assistance.
Start with Troubleshooting Telehealth Session Issues in Practice Better for the most common solutions.