In a previous article, we examined how patient-side challenges like technology access, digital literacy, and care engagement continue to limit the potential of virtual care. But even when patients are ready, willing, and equipped for telehealth, telehealth will not take off if clinicians are not on board.
Clinicians are not just participants in the telehealth equation — they are the core of telehealth delivery. Yet many still feel underprepared, unsupported, or unconvinced that virtual care is an option for high-quality care delivery.
Drawing from insights shared during a recent webinar (“Overcoming Common Barriers to Telehealth: Part Two”) for the Wyoming Telehealth Network, this article highlights five common clinician-side barriers to telehealth adoption and the corresponding strategies that leading organizations are using to overcome them.
Barrier 1: Lack of Awareness and Buy-In
Some clinicians continue to view telehealth as a temporary fix from the pandemic era, not a core component of modern care delivery. Without a clear understanding of telehealth’s value or the organizational vision behind it, engagement stalls.
Solution: Develop and communicate a clear telehealth strategy.
To engage the clinicians, leadership must articulate why telehealth matters, where it fits into the organizations’s overall strategy, and how it supports quality, access, and equity. This strategy should be consistently communicated and reinforced by clinical and operational leaders.
Barrier 2: Limited Training and Clinical Confidence
Many clinicians were handed a webcam and a video conferencing tool and expected to “do telehealth”. But delivering high-quality care over video requires training in virtual communication, documentation, and even virtual physical exam techniques.
Solution: Provide practical, clinician-specific telehealth training.
Training should include simulated visits, virtual exam skills, and best practices in virtual presence and workflow. These sessions can be short and targeted, but must be tailored to the realities of each specialty or role.
Barrier 3: Workflow Disruption
Telehealth introduces additional steps that are not present within the established in-person workflows. When clinicians are expected to troubleshoot tech, virtually room their own patients, or manage virtual visits without support, frustration builds.
Solution: Redesign telehealth workflows to reflect in-person care.
Break telehealth into discrete workflows: scheduling, rooming, the visit itself, and post-visit follow-up. Support staff should handle Telehealth TechChecks and virtual rooming, just as they do in person. The clinician’s job should remain focused on clinical care.
Barrier 4: Poor Technology Experience
Clinicians are often stuck with clunky video platforms that make telehealth more difficult than it needs to be. This breeds resentment and reduces utilization. While improvements to the clinician experience have been made, many EHR-based video platforms rely on the patient joining the visit through the patient portal – another often clunky user experience that will impede clinicians’ ability to create a create virtual visit experience.
Solution: Involve clinicians (and patients!) in the evaluation and selection of their preferred video platform.
If your tech solution is frustrating providers, it’s likely frustrating patients, too. Involve clinical users in platform selection and regularly solicit feedback to inform improvements. A seamless experience builds trust.
Barrier 5: Lack of Reinforcement and Support
Even the best training fades without reinforcement. Without clear expectations and regular feedback, clinicians may abandon telehealth efforts or fail to improve.
Solution: Implement a telehealth performance management system.
Track key indicators like visit volume, patient satisfaction, and clinician experience. Celebrate wins, address concerns, and provide just-in-time refreshers or coaching. Support should be ongoing, not one-and-done.
Removing and Overcoming the Barriers
Clinicians are central to the success of telehealth. But engagement doesn’t happen automatically. It must be cultivated through leadership, training, workflow design, and ongoing support.
The good news? When clinicians feel confident and supported, they deliver excellent virtual care — and their patients know it.
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Christian Milaster and his team optimize Telehealth Services for health systems and physician practices. Christian is the Founder and President of Ingenium Digital Health Advisors where he and his expert consortium partner with healthcare leaders to enable the delivery of extraordinary care.
Contact Christian by phone or text at 657-464-3648, via email, or video chat.
