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Telehealth for older adults

Develop a telehealth strategy

Learn how to develop a telehealth strategy for older patients.

Flexible workflow for older patients

Consider your team and workflow. You may need to make adjustments to help older adults use telehealth:

  • Understand that your patients might not be familiar with telehealth. Help you patients understand how video visits work. Ask your office staff do a test run prior to the appointment.
  • Allow extra time. This can help in case you need to troubleshoot technology.
  • Prepare accessible resources. Your older patients may need resources in different formats. Send information prior to the appointment when possible.

Tip: Digital health navigators are people who explain technology. This can help increase patients’ comfort when using telehealth. Consider designating a staff member to take on this role.

Incorporating caregivers

Caregivers report a number of benefits with using telehealth. Caregivers can improve the accessibility of telehealth among older patients.

More information

Planning your telehealth workflow — Health Resources and Services Administration

Cultivating trust and relationships during a telehealth visit — Health Resources and Services Administration

Build a sustainable telehealth practice — Health Resources and Services Administration

Spotlight

The Center for Excellence for Telehealth and Aging aims to advance age-inclusive telehealth for older adults. Their vision is to better meet the needs and preferences of older adults. Resources include telehealth best practices for older adults.