Put PEP into Telehealth: An Etiquette Framework for Successful Encounters
Kelli Garber, Tina Gustin, Carolyn Rutledge
Abstract
Increased utilization of videoconferencing platforms to conduct meetings and patient encounters has illuminated the need to focus on video etiquette. Though telehealth has been utilized since the 1950s, the SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic propelled virtual care into the forefront of healthcare to protect both patients and providers. Historically, few academic programs have incorporated telehealth into the curriculum, and the rapid transition to telehealth typically left providers to learn the art of virtual care without education. The experience of many nurse providers is often limited to virtual platforms typically used for casual interactions versus a successful patient encounter. A quality telehealth encounter that enhances patient-provider communication and strengthens the provider-patient relationship must include telehealth etiquette and webside manner. This article describes the PEP framework for telehealth encounters to provide a detailed description of the elements of performance, environment, and privacy/security as best practices to underpin successful virtual health visits.