A poorly positioned camera. Distracting glare. A patient who feels unseen. In telehealth, these small oversights can quietly erode trust, empathy, and even clinical outcomes. The virtual environment is not just a backdrop—it’s part of the therapeutic alliance.
Understanding how technology and environment shape the patient-provider connection is no longer optional—it's essential. This course offers practical solutions to the invisible design flaws that disrupt care and equips behavioral health clinicians to create virtual spaces that foster presence, safety, and therapeutic impact.
Elizabeth Krupinski, PhD, a leader in telemedicine research and human factors, brings decades of experience to this course. As Vice-Chair for Research in Radiology & Imaging Sciences at Emory University and a director in national telehealth resource initiatives, Dr. Krupinski offers authoritative insight on optimizing virtual environments to support clinician performance and patient engagement.
Dr. Krupinski’s teaching approach is both evidence-based and practical. She uses real-world examples, clear explanations, and tested strategies to help learners apply design principles to their own clinical settings—whether they provide care from home, office, or hospital systems.
This course explores key human-technology interactions that directly impact behavioral health outcomes in virtual settings. Topics include ergonomic assessments, visual and auditory privacy, lighting configuration, eye contact, camera placement, and how design influences communication and trust. You'll also receive access to helpful checklists, research-based tools, and best practices for improving both provider well-being and patient rapport.
Key Takeaways:
Design with purpose: Learn how lighting, layout, and ergonomic choices directly affect therapeutic presence and performance.
Connect through technology: Understand how to foster trust and dignity by managing eye contact and visual engagement during sessions.
Create safer, more effective encounters: Apply human factors principles to reduce clinician fatigue and enhance the client’s virtual experience.
Why this course?
Expert-led, clinically grounded: Dr. Krupinski draws from decades of human factors research and hands-on implementation in healthcare systems nationwide.
Behavioral health-specific: Unlike generic telehealth trainings, this course addresses the nuances of therapeutic interaction in virtual behavioral health care.
Mission-driven and evidence-informed: Offered by the Telehealth Certification Institute, this course aligns with our commitment to equipping professionals with exceptional, practical continuing education.
Learning Objectives:
Explain the impact of the role of human factors in the design of a telemedicine room, explore where to go for resources about human factors in telehealth.
Investigate how simple variables such as eye contact require attention during a telemedicine encounter.
Set up and configure lighting for telehealth visits, examine basic approaches to ergonomic assessments.
This course is an invitation to elevate your telehealth practice—transforming how you and your clients feel and function in virtual spaces. Whether you're newly integrating telehealth or refining your setup, the insights you'll gain here are essential for clinical success.
Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1 hour of video instruction and a post-test
Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
How to Attend: Instructions for attending and completing a course can be found here.
Elizabeth Krupinski, PhD is Professor and Vice-Chair for Research at Emory University in the Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences and subject matter expert for the Emory Telehealth Program. She received her BA from Cornell, MA from Montclair State and PhD from Temple, all in Experimental Psychology. Dr. Krupinski’s interests are in medical image perception, observer performance, decision making, and human factors. She is Associate Director of Evaluation for the Arizona Telemedicine Program and co-Director of the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center.
Disclosure Statement: The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.
Credit Hours: This course consists of 1 continuing education hour of credit.
Counselors:
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Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.
Social Workers:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credit.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.
Addiction Professionals:
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This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
Psychologists:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 60 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
