How to Start a Telemedicine Practice

Best Practices to Start a Telemedicine Business

Starting a telemedicine practice starts with understanding your state-specific regulations. This might include looking at the licensure requirements and patient consent protocols. Apart from that, there are other steps like choosing the right core models, and selecting the right telehealth platform.

Let’s take a look at the steps in detail below:

1. Understand and Comply with State-Specific Telehealth Regulations

Before launching your telehealth practice, thoroughly review your state’s legal and regulatory requirements. Telehealth state laws vary widely across jurisdictions; what’s permitted in one state may be restricted in another.

Key areas to focus on include:

• Licensure requirements
• Scope of practice
• Acceptable modalities (e.g., video, audio-only)
• Patient consent protocols
• Documentation standards

Some states also have unique rules regarding prescribing medication via telehealth. Understanding healthcare laws will help ensure your practice operates legally and avoids potential compliance risks.

If needed, consult with legal counsel or regulatory experts familiar with telemedicine law in your state.

2. Know the Two Core Models of Video-Based Telemedicine Delivery

Telemedicine operates under two distinct delivery models that states and insurance payers typically recognize: direct-to-consumer (DTC) and hub-and-spoke. Each model has its requirements regarding where the patient must be located and how care is delivered.

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Telemedicine

In the DTC model, patients can receive care from wherever they are, usually at home, without needing to travel to a healthcare facility. This approach is more flexible and accessible, especially for routine follow-ups, behavioral health, or chronic care management. 

Hub-and-Spoke Telemedicine

This model requires the patient to connect with a remote provider at a designated physical location, such as a clinic, hospital, or medical office. These “originating sites,” or spokes, must meet specific qualifications set by states or payers. 

Use a secure, HIPAA-compliant answering service regardless of which model you follow. 

3. Select the Right Telehealth Platform 

Choosing the right telehealth platform directly affects how smoothly your medical practice operates and how confidently patients engage with remote care. A good platform should be user-friendly, HIPAA-compliant, and capable of integrating with your EMR and other backend systems. 

But it shouldn’t stop there.

One often overlooked piece of the telehealth puzzle is what happens before and after a virtual consultation, like handling patient calls, scheduling, and follow-ups. That’s where services like PatientCalls come in.

PatientCalls is a HIPAA-compliant medical answering service designed to work alongside your telemedicine solution. It supports practices by handling appointment bookings, after-hours calls, patient inquiries, and overflow call management.

Here’s how PatientCalls enhances your telehealth workflow:

• 24/7 support with live agents trained in healthcare communication.
• HIPAA-compliant protocols to protect sensitive patient data.
• Customized call scripts that reflect your practice’s tone and clinical workflows.
• Reduced admin burden, so your team can focus on clinical care
• Appointment scheduling and message routing are integrated with your existing systems.

4. Define Clinical Boundaries and Patient Suitability for Telemedicine

Before offering virtual care, outline which clinical situations can safely be managed through telemedicine and which require in-person intervention. Start by creating clear, condition-specific eligibility criteria to help your providers make confident decisions about remote care with healthcare cybersecurity.

Develop internal protocols that cover the following:

• When a patient is not a candidate for virtual care, such as cases involving acute symptoms, complex physical exams, or diagnostic procedures that require hands-on evaluation.
• Clear red flags that signal the need for immediate in-person assessment or emergency response (e.g., chest pain, severe shortness of breath, signs of stroke).
• How to manage emergencies during virtual visits, telemedicine visits, including a step-by-step plan for providers to activate emergency services if needed.
• The type of clinical information you need upfront, such as patient history, current medications, vitals (if patients can self-report), and signed consent forms.
  

Go a step further by using tech tools that help screen for eligibility before the visit is booked. For example, some platforms can trigger alerts if patients select symptoms unsuitable for telehealth.

5. Train Your Team and Communicate Expectations

A telemedicine practice is only as strong as the team behind it. Transitioning to virtual patient care requires more than technical know-how, as it demands a shift in mindset, communication, and daily workflows.

Beyond the basics, training should include:

• Virtual telehealth visit etiquette. Training for maintaining eye contact and managing patient expectations during delays
• Privacy and security protocols. Ensures conversations happen in secure, quiet spaces and that devices adhere to HIPAA compliance
• Clinical workflows. This is for pre-visit check-ins, documentation, and post-visit follow-ups
• Handling tech breakdowns. This includes backup communication methods if video fails
  

Just as important. Educate your patients. Use clear instructions, visuals, and email reminders to show them how to join their appointment, what documents or vitals to prepare, and who to contact for help. 

6. Develop a Patient Engagement and Marketing Strategy

Once your own practice is ready to go, the next step is making sure patients know it exists and feel confident using it. That requires a thoughtful engagement and marketing strategy that spreads the word and simplifies the experience for new users. Key steps are:

• Start with your professional website. Add a dedicated medical care section that clearly explains who it’s for, how it works, and how to schedule a virtual visit. Include FAQs, a step-by-step guide, and video tutorials if possible for a strong online presence.
• Communicate directly with your existing patient base. Use email newsletters, text reminders, and patient portal updates to let them know telemedicine is now an option.
• Don’t overlook external channels either. Use your social media pages, community forums, or local publications to promote your virtual care offerings.
• Build trust through physician referrals. Encourage in-network doctors or specialists to refer appropriate patients to your telemedicine services when in-person care isn’t necessary. Provide them with digital brochures or referral templates they can easily share.

7. Launch Thoughtfully and Let Patient Feedback Guide Your Growth

Rolling out your telemedicine practice is just the beginning of an evolving service that needs tuning over time. Instead of going live at full scale, start with a controlled rollout. 

A soft launch in the healthcare industry allows you to test real-world scenarios, identify friction points, and improve without overwhelming your team or patients. Invite a small, diverse group of patients and staff to participate in the early phase.

Their input will offer invaluable insight into what’s working and where adjustments are needed. Now, track essential performance indicators such as:

• Virtual appointment completion rates. Are patients showing up and staying through the visit?
• Patient satisfaction levels. What are they saying about ease of use, wait times, and provider communication?
• Frequency and type of technical issues. Are audio/video drops common? Is the platform user-friendly?
• Need for in-person follow-ups. Are virtual visits resolving issues or leading to unnecessary in-person appointments?
  

Actively solicited feedback from both patients and staff. Use short post-visit surveys, follow-up calls, or feedback forms embedded in your portal. 

8. Yes, You Still Need a Physical Address, Even for a Virtual Practice

Running a telehealth business from your laptop does not mean you can skip the physical address. If you plan to bill insurance coverage (and most providers do), you’ll need a legitimate business address on record.

Why? Because insurers don’t recognize “anywhere with Wi-Fi” as a valid location.

Insurance companies list physicians by physical address and zip code; that’s how patients find you through provider directories. If you already have a brick-and-mortar clinic, you’re all set. 

You can use that same address for your virtual care listings and insurance claims. But what if you’re going fully remote without a traditional office space? In that case, don’t default to using your home address. It’s not ideal for privacy or professionalism.

Instead, look into renting a virtual office or executive suite in your state. These give you a commercial address (minus the hefty rent) and often come with added perks like call forwarding, mail handling, or access to meeting rooms, just in case you ever need them.

Factors to Consider When Starting a Telemedicine Private Practice

Here are some factors to consider when starting your own telemedicine practice:

Clinical Standards for Telemedicine

The expectations for quality of care in telemedicine mirror those of traditional, in-person care. Providers must ensure that remote evaluations meet the same clinical standards, and if they don’t, an in-office consultation becomes necessary. 

Take, for instance, a case of abdominal pain: without a physical examination, such as palpation, it’s difficult to reach an accurate diagnosis remotely. In such situations, a face-to-face visit is essential. 

However, routine follow-ups, lab reviews, or discussing imaging results are often well-suited for virtual appointments.

State Licensure in Telehealth

While telemedicine company has made it technically possible to care for potential patients across state lines, regulatory boundaries haven’t quite caught up.

Primary care physicians are still required to hold an active license in the state where the patient is physically located at the time of the consult, even if the visit happens virtually. This can limit access to quality care, especially in rural or underserved areas.

Some states also participate in licensure compacts, such as the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), which streamlines the process for healthcare providers to practice in multiple states. Still, telehealth programs must be built with these geographic constraints in mind to stay compliant while maximizing access.

Reliable IT Team

High-speed internet connection, a functioning laptop, camera, and microphone form the basic setup, long-term success depends on much more than the minimum requirements.

To deliver consistent, high-quality virtual care, you need a robust IT support system in place, one that can monitor performance in real-time, troubleshoot issues on the fly, and ensure uptime during critical appointments.

Equally important is secure data handling. Your platform must allow new patients to upload medical documents, images, or electronic medical records without risking data breaches. That means HIPAA-compliant encryption, controlled access, and reliable data storage protocols.

Best Practices for Setting up a Telehealth Practice

Telehealth is a core part of modern healthcare delivery. However, starting a virtual care service is not as simple as logging onto a video call. Here are some best practices you need to know: 

Assess Broadband and Telemedicine Technology Infrastructure

Reliable internet connectivity is critical for both the provider and the patient. Ensure your own telehealth practice location has high-speed, stable interne,t and your platform functions well under variable network conditions. Offer tech-readiness guides for patients, especially those in rural or low-bandwidth areas.

Design Virtual Visit Workflows That Mirror In-Person Appointments

Your virtual visits should feel familiar. That means replicating steps like:

• Pre-visit paperwork and insurance verification
• Waiting room check-ins with support staff
• Standardized visit durations and post-visit summaries

Create Contingency Plans for System Downtime

What happens when your platform goes down mid-consultation? Draft backup communication plans, like secure phone consults or rescheduling workflows. This will ensure care continuity without exposing sensitive data.

Define Metrics for Success Early On

Track more than just patient volume. Useful KPIs include:

• Time-to-connection
• No-show rates for virtual vs. in-person visits
• Resolution rate (how many cases are resolved without needing an in-person follow-up)
• Average consult duration
  

Simplify Telehealth Operations with PatientCalls

Starting a telemedicine practice takes more than just video calls—it requires compliance, patient trust, and strong operational support. Getting the right foundation in place can make or break your success in virtual care.

That’s where we come in. PatientCalls fills the gaps your telehealth platform doesn’t, from HIPAA-compliant call handling and appointment scheduling to 24/7 patient support. We help you stay connected, compliant, and professional—so you can focus on care, not admin.

Here’s what to do next:

1. Check your state’s telehealth laws to make sure you’re fully licensed and compliant.
2. Choose a reliable telehealth platform and define your clinical protocols for virtual care.
3. Get PatientCalls involved to strengthen your front office and ensure no patient gets missed.

Let’s simplify the backend of telemedicine, so you can focus on what matters most—quality care. Contact us today to set your telehealth practice up for success.

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