Here’s a practical, professional guide to telehealth conduct you can use as a checklist and quick reference. It’s written to be broadly applicable across health professions — adapt to your local regulator, employer policies, and scope of practice.

Core principles

• Respect: treat telehealth encounters with the same courtesy, confidentiality and professionalism as face-to-face care.
• Safety and clinical appropriateness: only provide care via telehealth when it is clinically appropriate and you can meet standard of care.
• Informed consent: obtain and document consent specific to telehealth (risks, limits, privacy).
• Confidentiality and privacy: protect patient data; use secure platforms and private spaces.
• Competence: maintain skills for remote assessment, technology use and clinical decision-making.
• Boundaries and professionalism: keep professional boundaries, manage dual relationships, and adopt an appropriate professional appearance and environment.
• Equity and accessibility: consider patient capacity, language, sensory needs, digital access and make reasonable adjustments.

Practical checklist before the session

• Confirm identity of patient (name, DOB) and who else is present.
• Confirm location of patient (address) and that they agree to be contacted there — needed for emergencies and jurisdictional reasons.
• Verify consent for telehealth (documented) and explain limitations (e.g., inability to perform certain physical exams).
• Check technology (camera, mic, internet) and have an agreed backup plan (phone call) if connection fails.
• Ensure you are in a private, quiet room with a professional background and no interruptions.
• Confirm emergency contact details and nearest emergency service for the patient’s location.
• Check any required identification or referral forms and relevant records before starting.

During the session — communication and clinical care

• Start by explaining the telehealth process and re-confirm consent.
• Maintain eye contact (look at camera), speak clearly and at a measured pace.
• Use teach-back: ask the patient to repeat key instructions to confirm understanding.
• Be explicit about limitations of remote examination; use questionnaires, visual inspection, or patient-guided self-exam when appropriate.
• If clinical uncertainty or risk is high, arrange face-to-face assessment or emergency care promptly.
• Keep a clear record of the clinical reasoning, limitations, consent and follow-up plan.

Privacy, security and documentation

• Use secure, approved telehealth platforms (end-to-end encryption where available) and avoid public Wi‑Fi for sessions.
• Follow local record-keeping rules: document encounter date/time, participants, consent, clinical findings, advice given, prescriptions, referrals and follow-up.
• Encrypt or otherwise secure any recordings and only record when explicit consent is documented.
• Limit sharing of PHI (personal health information) and be careful when texts/emails are used — consider secure messaging.

Prescribing, referrals and tests

• Prescribe only within your professional scope and local laws; consider safety when you cannot perform a physical exam.
• Follow local rules for e-prescribing, controlled substances and interstate/overseas prescribing.
• Provide clear instructions about medications, side effects and monitoring; arrange local pathology/imaging as needed.

Children, vulnerable people and third parties

• For minors or those lacking capacity, check legal consent rules and confirm guardian/decision-maker presence and identity.
• Be cautious with interpreters, caregivers or family present; document their role and obtain the patient’s agreement to their presence.

Emergency and high-risk situations

• If patient is at immediate risk (harm to self/others), follow local emergency response protocols and involve emergency services from the patient’s location.
• Have an action plan and local resources list the patient can access.

Professional boundaries, cultural safety and equity

• Keep interactions professional: avoid informal language that undermines authority/consent, and don’t exchange personal contact details outside approved channels.
• Provide culturally safe care, use interpreters when needed and be aware of how telehealth may disadvantage some populations.

Quality improvement and training

• Maintain records of outcomes and complaints and participate in audits and continuing education in telehealth practice and technology security.

Sample telehealth consent elements (short template to document)

• Purpose of the telehealth session and who will be present.
• Explanation of benefits and likely limitations (e.g., no full physical exam).
• Privacy risks and how data will be stored/used.
• How technology problems will be handled and backup contact method.
• Emergency procedures and confirmation of patient’s physical location.
• Patient agreement (verbal or written) and date/time.

Quick clinician checklist to document after session

• Name/DOB of patient, date/time, location (patient’s address), attendees.
• Consent obtained (yes/no; details).
• Clinical findings and limitations of tele-assessment.
• Advice given, prescriptions issued, referrals and follow-up plan.
• Any technical issues and whether session was interrupted.
• Billing code or attendance record as per local rules.

Final notes

• Follow the guidance of your local regulator and employer policies (for example, in Australia check your professional board and workplace telehealth policies). Regulations on prescribing, cross‑jurisdiction practice, mandatory reporting and record retention vary by jurisdiction.
• If you want, I can: draft a one-page clinic telehealth policy, produce a patient-facing telehealth consent form, or create a brief staff checklist tailored to your profession and state/territory — tell me which you prefer.