How to Talk to Telehealth Vendors & Ask the Right Questions

How to Talk to Telehealth Vendors & Ask the Right Questions

When meeting with telehealth vendors, think of the conversation in four parts:

1. What you need
2. What they can really do
3. How secure and compliant they are
4. What it will cost—in money, time, and support

Here's a structured and ready-to-use approach.

1. Start with Your Goals and Use Case

This sets the tone and helps you see whether they understand your operational needs.

You can say:

"We support behavioral health programs and need a telehealth tool that is secure, easy for clients to use, and fits our workflow. Can you walk me through how your platform supports behavioral health or similar programs?"

Key Questions:

• Who are your typical clients (healthcare? behavioral health?)
• What specific telehealth features do you offer for clinical workflows?
• How do you support clients with low digital literacy or limited bandwidth?

2. Assess Functionality: What Can the Platform Actually Do?

Break features down into buckets:

Clinical functionality

• Does your platform support:
  • Video visits?
  • Scheduled + on-demand visits?
  • Group sessions?
  • Secure messaging?
  • File sharing & electronic forms?
  • Remote monitoring?
  • Multi-party sessions (clinician + client + interpreter)?

Workflow integration

• How does scheduling work?
• Does it integrate with Outlook/Teams/your existing workflow tools?
• Can providers join easily with minimal tech setup?

Client experience

• What do clients need to get started (app download, link, portal)?
• Is onboarding simple for clients with limited tech experience?
• Is translation or interpreter integration available?

3. Security, Compliance & Data Handling

This is critical, especially for background checks, PII, and clinical information.

Ask:

• Are you HIPAA-compliant?
• Do you sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?
• Where is data stored (U.S.-based servers? Cloud provider?)
• How is data encrypted (in transit and at rest)?
• How do you manage user permissions and access control?
• Can we restrict access to specific folders or data types?
• What logs or audit trails are available?

4. Connectivity & Technical Requirements

This prevents future "our clients can't connect" problems.

Ask:

• What are the minimum bandwidth requirements for a stable call?
• Does the platform adjust video quality dynamically on low bandwidth?
• Is it mobile-friendly? Works on all browsers?
• Do clients need to download an app?

5. Support & Training

A vendor that leaves you alone after go-live is a red flag.

Ask:

• What training do you provide for staff?
• Do you have client-facing help resources?
• What does support look like—email, chat, live phone support?
• What are your support hours?
• Do you offer onboarding assistance or dedicated account managers?

6. Pricing & Contracts

Be specific so there are no surprises.

Ask:

• What does pricing include and not include?
• Are there per-user, per-provider, or per-session fees?
• Are there setup or implementation costs?
• Are there tiered plans?
• What is the minimum contract length?
• Is there a cancellation policy?

7. Reporting & Analytics

If you need to show program performance, ask about:

• Attendance tracking
• Duration of sessions
• Provider productivity
• Client engagement metrics
• Exportable reports (Excel, CSV)

8. Security Scenario Testing

You can also give real scenarios to test maturity.

Example:

"We sometimes need to restrict access to sensitive documents and folders. How would your system prevent unauthorized staff or visitors from seeing protected content?"

This helps you catch weaknesses early.

Ready-to-Use Question Checklist

Here's a short version you can refer to in meetings:

Functionality

• What core telehealth features do you offer?
• Do you support group sessions?
• Is the client onboarding process simple?

Security

• Are you HIPAA compliant?
• Do you sign a BAA?
• How is data stored and encrypted?

Integration

• Does it connect with our scheduling or communication tools?
• Any API or EHR integration?

Tech Requirements

• Mobile-friendly?
• No-download option?
• Low-bandwidth settings?

Support

• Training for staff?
• Support hours?
• Implementation assistance?

Cost

• Pricing model?
• Hidden or extra fees?
• Contract terms?

Telehealth Vendor Meeting Script (Sample)

Designed for administrators, program managers, and operations staff evaluating telehealth platforms.

1. Opening the Meeting

You:
"Thank you for meeting with us today. We're exploring telehealth solutions that can support our behavioral health programs and ensure secure, user-friendly access for both staff and clients. I'd like to understand what your platform can do and how it would fit into our workflows. Could you start with a brief overview of your telehealth solution and who typically uses it?"

2. Understanding the Vendor's Platform

You:
"Can you walk me through the core features your platform offers, specifically for clinical or behavioral health workflows?"

Listen for:

• Video visits
• Scheduling tools
• Messaging
• Group sessions
• Document sharing
• Interpreter support

If they skip something, you can ask:
"Do you support group sessions?"
"Do clients need to download an app?"

3. Client and Staff Experience

You:
"User experience is a major factor for us. Can you describe what both the provider and client experience looks like from start to finish?"

Follow-up options

• "What would a typical client need to do to join a session?"
• "How does your platform work for clients with limited digital literacy or low internet bandwidth?"
• "Does it work smoothly on mobile devices and all browser types?"

4. Workflow Integration

You:
"How does your platform integrate into a typical daily workflow?"

Add specifics depending on your needs:

• "Does it integrate with Outlook or scheduling systems?"
• "Can we set up reminders, automated notifications, or followup messages?"
• "Is there the ability to restrict access to certain folders or documents?"

5. Security, Privacy & Compliance

You:
"Security and privacy are critical for us. I have a few questions in this area."

• "Are you HIPAA compliant?"
• "Do you sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?"
• "Where is data stored, and how is it encrypted?"
• "How do you manage permissions and prevent unauthorized access?"
• "Do you provide audit trails or activity logs?"

Optional scenariobased test:
"We sometimes need to store sensitive documents in subfolders with restricted access. How would your system ensure only specific staff can view them?"

6. Technical Requirements

You:
"I'd like to understand the technical side."

• "What are the minimum internet or device requirements?"
• "Does video quality adjust automatically if bandwidth is low?"
• "Is there a nodownload, browseronly option?"

7. Support, Training & Onboarding

You:
"What does onboarding and support look like with your company?"

Ask:

• "Do you provide staff training?"
• "Do you have client-facing help materials?"
• "What are your support hours and response times?"
• "Is an account manager assigned to our organization?"

8. Pricing & Contracts

You:
"Now I'd like to understand the financial and contractual aspects."

• "How is pricing structured—per user, per provider, per session?"
• "Are there setup or implementation fees?"
• "Are there minimum contract terms?"
• "What's included in the base price, and what's addon?"
• "Is early termination allowed, and if so, at what cost?"

9. Reporting & Data Needs

You:
"For our grants and internal reporting, we need good analytics."

• "What reporting or dashboards are included?"
• "Can we export data easily (Excel, CSV)?"
• "Do you track attendance, usage, and session duration?"

10. Closing the Meeting

You:
"Thank you - this was very helpful. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you think is important for us to understand about your telehealth platform? And could you send us follow-up materials, including pricing, contract samples, and a product demo if available?"