If you see clients by video, a telehealth informed consent is one of the documents you don't want to skip. It protects your client (they know what they're agreeing to), protects you (documented informed consent), and is expected — or required — by most boards and payers. This guide walks through what a solid telehealth consent covers, in plain language.
Why a separate telehealth consent matters
Your general informed consent covers therapy itself. Telehealth adds new factors a client should understand before agreeing: the technology involved, its privacy limits, what happens if the connection drops, and how emergencies are handled when you're not in the same room. A dedicated telehealth consent (or a clearly labeled telehealth section) documents that the client understood and agreed to all of that.
What to include — a practical checklist
1. What telehealth is, and that it's voluntary
A plain description of telehealth (live video sessions in place of, or alongside, in-person visits) and a statement that the client chooses it voluntarily and can switch to in-person or stop at any time.
2. Benefits and limitations
Be honest about both: convenience and access on one side; on the other, that video has limits — technical issues can interrupt sessions, and it may not suit every situation or level of acuity.
3. Technology and privacy
- The kind of platform you use and that it's chosen to protect their privacy (e.g., encrypted, with a BAA in place).
- That no technology is 100% secure, and the limits of confidentiality online.
- Their responsibilities: a private space, a reasonably secure internet connection, and not recording sessions without agreement.
- Whether sessions are ever recorded (ideally: not, unless specifically agreed).
4. Location and licensure
That you're licensed in the state the client is located in during sessions, and that the client agrees to confirm their physical location at the start of each session (this matters for licensure and emergencies).
5. Emergencies and safety planning
This is the most important telehealth-specific piece. Spell out what happens in a crisis when you're not physically present: that the client will provide their current location and an emergency contact, the local emergency number (911) and crisis resources, and the plan if a session is interrupted (for example, how you'll reconnect or follow up).
6. What happens if the technology fails
A simple agreed protocol: if you get disconnected, who calls whom and how, and the backup method (phone) so a dropped connection never leaves a client stranded mid-session.
7. Fees, cancellations, and billing
Confirm that your usual fee, cancellation, and no-show policies apply to telehealth sessions too, and how payment is handled.
8. Consent and signature
A clear statement that the client has read, understood, and agrees — with a signature and date. An electronic signature is fine and is the norm for virtual practices.
How to collect it without the paperwork hassle
The smoothest approach is a secure e-signature link the client completes before session one — no printing, scanning, or accounts required on their end. Keeping consent in the same system as the rest of the client's record also means it's there when you need it, not lost in an email thread.
Theraflow handles this directly: intake forms and e-signature consents (including a telehealth consent) send as secure links, clients sign without creating an account, and everything stays attached to the client's record — part of the flat $29.99/month plan, with a BAA included. If you're setting up virtual sessions, our guide to HIPAA-compliant video tools pairs naturally with this.
Bottom line
A good telehealth consent isn't bureaucracy — it's a short, clear agreement that makes sure your client understands how virtual sessions work and what happens if something goes wrong, especially in an emergency. Cover the elements above, collect it at intake, store it with the client's record, and you've protected both of you before the first session starts.
Related reading: Is Zoom HIPAA-compliant for therapy? and HIPAA-compliant telehealth for therapists.