Does Therapy Notes Have Telehealth

Does Therapy Notes Have Telehealth and How Do You Actually Use It?

TherapyNotes does include a telehealth feature, and it is built directly into the platform rather than tacked on as a third-party link. This means you do not need to maintain a separate Doxy.me or Zoom for Healthcare account for your video sessions. The video tool sits inside the scheduling module, launches straight from the client's profile, and the session automatically logs into the appointment record. If you are looking for the quick answer before diving into setup, the yes is straightforward. The telehealth component is included in all active practice plans at no additional per-seat cost beyond your base subscription. It is HIPAA-compliant by design since the traffic never leaves the TherapyNotes environment, which handles the encryption and access controls on their end. The interface is simple enough that most clinicians have it working within a single session, though there are a few rough edges that will bite you on day one.

Here is how the actual workflow breaks down: Navigate to your scheduling calendar and create a standard appointment just as you normally would. When you open the appointment details, you will see a Start Telehealth Session button. Clicking it launches a browser-based video window that both you and your client enter through a unique link. The client does not need a TherapyNotes account or any software download. They simply click the link they receive and grant camera and microphone permissions in whatever browser they are using. When the session ends, the appointment is automatically marked as completed in your schedule. A transcript of the session is stored in your records, which can matter for compliance audits or if a client requests a copy of their encounter later.

I ran into a specific issue during my first few months of using the built-in telehealth that I have not seen discussed much in the help docs. If a client joins the session from a mobile device and your browser is running multiple tabs with heavy applications, the audio can desynchronize noticeably after about twenty minutes. This is not a bug in TherapyNotes specifically, but a resource contention problem on the client end. The workaround I settled on was requiring clients to use the desktop version of the visit link whenever possible, and for my own side, closing every browser tab that was not actively involved in the session. The audio sync held perfectly after that change. There is also a less obvious detail about how notes and billing interact with telehealth appointments. When you create a telehealth visit through TherapyNotes, the system does not automatically differentiate the CPT code from a standard in-person appointment in the charge entry screen. You need to manually verify that you are billing the correct telehealth-modifier codes if your payer requires them, particularly the -95 or -GT modifiers depending on your state and insurance carrier. I lost billable time on two claims in my first month because I assumed the platform was applying the modifier automatically. It is not. The claim comes out as a standard visit unless you adjust the code yourself before submitting. Another thing that trips people up is the recording feature. TherapyNotes does not automatically record every telehealth session, and the option to enable recording is a manual toggle you set per appointment. Some clinicians assume recordings are happening in the background as a default safeguard, which they are not. If you want a session recorded for clinical reference or supervision purposes, you have to remember to turn it on before the visit begins. The toggle lives in the same appointment details panel where you find the start button, but it is easy to miss if you are new to the interface.

The platform does support screen sharing during sessions, which you can use for psychoeducation or collaborative treatment planning. Client-side screen sharing, however, is browser-dependent and tends to be flaky on older versions of Firefox. Chrome and Safari handle it reliably. If a client reports they cannot share their screen, having them switch to Chrome usually resolves it within a minute. There is also a group telehealth capacity if you are running any kind of group therapy through the platform. You can invite multiple participants to a single video session, and the waiting room feature works for group visits too, letting you admit clients one at a time rather than all at once. The main limitation that comes up repeatedly is offline capability. If your internet connection drops during a session, TherapyNotes will not buffer or attempt a graceful fallback the way some dedicated telehealth platforms do. The session ends, and you have to reschedule or reconnect as quickly as you can. Having a backup hotspot or a mobile data plan ready for when your primary connection fails is worth the investment, especially if you are in a rural area with inconsistent broadband.

If you find the built-in tool limiting for any reason, TherapyNotes does offer integrations with external platforms like Zoom for Healthcare and Doxy.me, but most clinicians I talk to stick with the native option simply because it eliminates the context switching between your EHR and a separate video platform. Keeping everything in one tab is a real workflow advantage once you get past the initial setup period. The download or access point for the telehealth feature is built in, so there is nothing to install separately. You log into TherapyNotes as usual and the telehealth module is available immediately upon starting a scheduled appointment. No additional login, no separate app download, no hardware requirements beyond a standard webcam and microphone, which most people already have. Setup time for a new practitioner is generally under thirty minutes if you walk through the camera and microphone test before your first live client session. I recommend doing a test appointment with a colleague or using the platform's internal test mode to confirm your audio levels and video quality are acceptable. The test feature is located under Settings > Telehealth Settings, and it generates a mock session that lets you check everything without involving a real patient.

Overall the feature works as advertised and saves the administrative overhead of managing a separate video service, but the billing modifier detail and the lack of automatic session recording are two areas that require your attention rather than the platform's automation.