Telehealth
UT Health Austin’s Telehealth service allows healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients remotely using Zoom, a secure video conferencing platform. Through our virtual care model, patients are able to visit with their care team and access information about treatments for themselves or their loved ones from a place of convenience, including the comfort of their own home. Many of the same services that are offered in person are also offered virtually to allow us to best meet patient needs.
Many answers to the questions you have about Telehealth can be found below.
Telehealth
Telehealth is a great care option for new patient visits, follow-up visits, medical monitoring, management of chronic conditions, medication management, specialist consultations, and non-life-threatening acute care needs. Most clinics at UT Health Austin are providing telehealth appointments. However, in-person appointments may still be recommended for patients if a physical exam needs to occur that cannot be done electronically or if there are immediate testing or imaging needs.
If you are suffering from a life-threatening condition or need in-person care immediately, please visit your local emergency room or dial 9-1-1.
UT Health Austin uses a secure video conferencing platform called Zoom, which can be easily installed on your computer or smartphone. Any standard computing device, including computers, tablets, and smartphones, with a modern internet browser and an internet connection, will work for your telehealth appointment.
For information on how to install and use Zoom on your desktop or mobile device, visit here.
For more information on how to join a Zoom meeting, visit here.
UT Health Austin takes patient privacy seriously. We currently use Zoom as our virtual visit platform. It’s important to understand the Zoom teleconferencing platform offers multiple levels of security. Unlike the free and basic versions of Zoom, UT Health Austin provides telehealth services through a secured version of Zoom that contains additional security controls, including secure video, audio, and content sharing that uses high-level encryption technology (AES 256 encryption) to ensure secure connections between our healthcare providers and our patients. UT Health Austin has also enabled secure waiting room features, access control features, and transport encryption. Additionally, UT Health Austin and Zoom have an established Business Associate Agreement, an agreement required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), to ensure appropriate privacy standards are followed to protect patients’ health information. The Business Associate Agreement ensures that Zoom maintains the privacy and security of all patient health information transmitted in the virtual platform to protect our patient’s privacy.
To set up a telehealth appointment with a provider at UT Health Austin, follow these steps:
- Request a telehealth appointment by calling 1-833-UT-CARES (1-833-882-2737). A member of the UT Health Austin Access Center will schedule your telehealth appointment with the appropriate care team.
- Provide an active email address and phone number. Once you are confirmed for a telehealth appointment, you will receive the necessary forms that must be filled out prior to your appointment and a Zoom meeting invite.
- Complete the necessary pre-appointment forms before your telehealth appointment. These forms must be completed prior to your appointment to allow your care team to discuss and develop potential treatment plans tailored to your specific needs. Your provider may not be able to conduct your appointment until this information is received.
- Join your Zoom meeting. You will receive a Zoom meeting invite that will include the date and time of your appointment as well as a link to join the virtual meeting. Zoom telehealth links are typically sent out the day before your scheduled appointment. If you have not received your Zoom telehealth link within two hours of the appointment, please call the UT Health Austin Access Center at 1-833-UT-CARES (1-833-882-2737).
Zoom telehealth links are generally sent out the day before scheduled appointments. If you have not received your Zoom telehealth link within two hours of the appointment, please call the UT Health Austin Access Center at 1-833-UT-CARES (1-833-882-2737) to speak to one of our Health Access Partners.
Depending on the nature of your visit, switching to Zoom telehealth may not be the best option for your current healthcare needs. Changing to a telehealth appointment may require contacting the care team prior to requesting the appointment change and could require rescheduling your appointment to a later date. Please call the UT Health Austin Access Center at 1-833-UT-CARES (1-833-882-2737) to speak to one of our Health Access Partners or message your care team through your MyUTHA Patient Portal to discuss your options.
At this time, telehealth appointments are covered by most insurance companies and are billed the same as in-person appointments. Your bill will be mailed to the address you have on file, or you can access and pay your bill online through your MyUTHA Patient Portal. If you have not set up your patient portal, please call the UT Health Austin Access Center at 1-833-UT-CARES (1-833-882-2737) to get assistance with setting one up.