Telepsychiatry and Teletherapy Room Design Tips & Tricks

Our telebehavioral health partnerships can be configured in a variety of ways, depending on the needs of the organization and the community it serves. Regardless of provider type, there are some best practices for room design when it comes to telepsychiatry or teletherapy treatment, for both the organization and the clinician.

From color palette to tech readiness to an aesthetically comforting environment, we’ve compiled a few tips and tricks that will help facilitate a beneficial and therapeutic treatment environment. 

Connectivity Requirements

At innovaTel by Quartet, we are dedicated to improving access to care. We do that by providing organizations with remote clinicians who join their clinical team and care for patients as any other in-person clinician would. 

The only caveat is that innovaTel clinicians require connectivity and the technology that enables that. 

When setting up a telebehavioral health room, make sure it’s equipped with the technology that it takes for a clinician to deliver care and for a patient to receive it. That means high-quality webcams, a strong internet connection and a high-quality monitor that allows for a seamless patient-provider interface. 

And when it comes to the camera, make sure it’s positioned so that the clinician and the patient are able to make eye contact — which is to say, don’t set the camera above the line of sight, but rather set it directly in front. It reduces glare and creates a more intimate interaction.

Comfortable Environment

While telebehavioral health is more widely accepted and practiced than it has been in previous years, it still may be new territory for some patients. 

For organizations setting up a telehealth room, remember the importance of creating a comforting environment. From seating options to color palette to wall hangings and lighting, the level of comfort that can be achieved often lies in the details. 

Softer lighting and natural lighting that doesn’t inhibit the patient-provider interface may be more palatable than bright, fluorescent lighting, for example. Comfortable seating, a calming aesthetic on the walls and inviting wall art or coffee table elements would also be welcome. Just be sure that seating is against a wall and not a window, since backlighting reduces visibility. 

For clinicians, those same elements should be kept in mind for the space behind the camera where treatment is facilitated. The room a clinician works in is effectively a treatment room, even though just a portion of it is on camera. Creating a comforting or inviting backdrop may facilitate an improved interaction with patients.

Control of Environment

Be sure that a telebehavioral health treatment room is free of distractions, offers privacy and has suitable acoustics — for both the patient and the clinician. For organizations, a telebehavioral health treatment room should be accessible but also offer as much comfort and privacy as an in-person treatment room. 

For clinicians working in a remote location, make sure the treatment room you create is a space that is reserved for the delivery of telebehavioral health care. Make sure your space can’t be interrupted by pets, deliveries or visitors. Creating a separate space for treatment is as much a commitment to patient care as it is to the importance of work-life balance.

To learn more about how our telebehavioral health partnerships that match psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, therapists and licensed clinical social workers with organizations in need of additional capacity or expertise, reach out to our team. Stay in touch with us on social media by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.

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