Telehealth / teletherapy / virtual sessions

Telehealth platforms

Providers are responsible for providing their own dial-in instructions or link ahead of the session and can use any compliant platform.

Below are the recommended compliant platforms:

• Doxy.me (free)
• Zoom (must be the HIPAA version)
• Google Workspace (must be the HIPAA version)

Important note

For Headway sessions, your telehealth platform MUST be:

• HIPAA compliant
• Secured via HTTPS
• Set up with a default waiting room to ensure clients never overlap
• Include both an audio and video component (Note: Medicare sessions can be audio-only, if needed)

Adding virtual sessions to your calendar

To add a telehealth session, visit your calendar, create a session, and choose Virtual (Telehealth) as the location.

Keeping sessions compliant

The telehealth platform you use must:

• Be HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant
  • This law is designed to provide privacy standards to protect clients' medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. A BAA (Business Associate Agreement) must be signed between you and any platform that stores PHI (Protected Health information)
• Use the https protocol (i.e. the URL starts with “https://” instead of “http://”)
  • This indicates that the web session information is encrypted between yourself, the client, and the platform’s servers; encrypting data stops bad actors from potentially intercepting sensitive information as it's being transmitted over the web
• Offer a default private room or a waiting room setting so that you control when/who joins the call
  • This ensures clients will never overlap

Setting up a waiting room

Here’s how to set up a waiting room on some commonly used platforms:

Zoom

1. Within Zoom, select the Meetings tab
2. Navigate to My Personal Meeting ID
3. Click Edit
4. Check the box for “Waiting Room: Only users admitted by the host can join the meeting”

Doxy

1. Doxy’s setting will include a waiting room by default
2. To customize this feature, you can upgrade to their paid plan

Google Workspace

1. In the meeting, at the bottom right, click Host controls
2. From the side panel that opens, toggle Quick access to on or off

FaceTime or other phone video calls are not an accepted/protected platform for telehealth services.

Finding your telehealth link

Zoom

1. Within Zoom, select the Meetings tab
2. Click the number titled My Personal Meeting ID
3. Click Copy Invitation
4. Look for a link under Join Zoom Meeting 
   
   
5. Highlight and copy

Doxy

1. Visit your dashboard
2. Click Copy next to your personal Doxy link

Google Workspace

1. In the meeting click the information icon 
   
2. In the panel that opens, click Copy joining info

Adding your telehealth video link to Headway

Add your unique telehealth platform to link sessions directly through Headway. Here’s how:

1. Go to your calendar
2. Within Settings, visit the Locations tab
3. Paste in your default telehealth link, You'll have the option to add specific instructions for clients to read prior to joining sessions
4. Within your chosen telehealth platform, set up a default waiting room to ensure clients never overlap

We'll include your telehealth link in client communications (session reminders and appointment confirmations) and the appointments page in their Headway account.

This link will also be accessible to you directly from your Sigmund portal within each calendar event. If you've exported your Sigmund calendar to another platform, you'll also have access to the link directly in the external calendar.

Seeing clients via telehealth in multiple states

You must be licensed and credentialed on Headway to practice in the state where your client is located during each session.

Every time you confirm a telehealth session, you'll be required to submit your client's location (where they joined the session from).

Managing client locations

To add a new location for your client:

1. Visit your Clients tab
2. Click on the name of the client you'd like to add a new location for 
3. Navigate to the Billing tab 
4. Next to Virtual session locations, click New location

Ensuring continuity of care

It's important to us that you have the option to continue care with your client(s) uninterrupted. Below, you'll find guidelines around what to do if your client does not live in a state you're licensed in and credentialed with on Headway.

If your client’s location during your session is in a state where you are credentialed on Headway:

1. Update your client’s location
2. Select this location when you confirm the session

If you’re licensed in but not credentialed on Headway where your client is located, you can now get credentialed across multiple states. Begin the credentialing process to continue care for your client through their insurance on Headway.

If you’re not licensed where your client is located, you’ll need to refer them to a different provider licensed in their state. 

• If your client IS NOT covered by an insurance with which Headway is in-network, you can see them via private pay.
• If your client IS covered by an insurance with which Headway is in-network, you'll need to refer them to a new provider.