Communication & Virtual Engagement Skills Flashcards

To promote health literacy during a telehealth visit, a practitioner should primarily:

Answer: Use plain language, analogies, and teach-back to confirm the patient's understanding

Plain language combined with the teach-back method is the gold standard for verifying and promoting health literacy.

Which of the following best describes 'virtual presence' in telehealth communication?

Answer: The practitioner's capacity to convey empathy, attention, and engagement through deliberate verbal and non-verbal cues over video

Virtual presence refers to intentional communication behaviors that create a sense of connection and engagement despite physical distance.

A practitioner uses the phrase 'I can see this is really hard for you' during a telehealth session. This statement is an example of:

Answer: Empathic reflection

Empathic reflection mirrors the patient's emotional experience to validate feelings and deepen the therapeutic alliance.

When a telehealth session is interrupted by a technical failure and reconnects after two minutes, the practitioner should first:

Answer: Briefly acknowledge the interruption, check the patient's emotional state, and re-establish the session's focus

Acknowledging the interruption and checking the patient's state repairs the relational disruption before resuming clinical content.

Which practice best supports informed consent for telehealth communication specifically?

Answer: Providing written disclosure of telehealth limitations, privacy practices, and emergency procedures before the first session

Telehealth-specific informed consent must address platform risks, privacy limits, and emergency protocols distinct from in-person care.

A practitioner observes that a patient is consistently more forthcoming in the chat feature than in spoken responses. The best approach is to:

Answer: Recognize chat as a valid communication channel and integrate it therapeutically while documenting content

Some patients find text communication less intimidating; integrating chat therapeutically honors the patient's communication preference.

What is the primary reason a telehealth practitioner should periodically summarize what has been discussed during a session?

Answer: To verify mutual understanding, reinforce key points, and provide an opportunity for the patient to correct misunderstandings

Periodic summaries are a communication technique that checks comprehension, reinforces learning, and invites patient correction.