Accessing Telehealth Appointments Digital Literacy test: How a simulation checks if staff can help patients get online

The Accessing Telehealth Appointments Digital Literacy test from Testlify checks whether staff can help patients book, join and manage virtual health visits. Telehealth digital literacy is the set of skills needed to book, join and manage a virtual health visit: setting up a patient portal account, managing passwords, booking or changing appointments, getting a device ready, and fixing common sound, video and login problems. For healthcare employers, the people who need these skills most are the staff who help patients. A simulation test checks them in about 22 minutes, before a new hire takes their first “I can’t log in” call.

TL;DR

• Many patients struggle with portals and video visits, so front desk and support staff end up doing tech support.
• A JAMA study estimated that 38% of US adults aged 65 and older weren’t ready for video visits.
• Key staff skills include portal setup, passwords, booking and changing visits, device setup and troubleshooting.
• A simulation shows what candidates can do in a realistic patient portal, which an interview can’t.
• Use it for front desk, patient access, medical assistant, call center, care coordinator and digital navigator roles.

Why telehealth skills matter for healthcare staff

When a patient can’t log in five minutes before a video visit, they call the clinic. The person who answers needs to fix the problem fast. They might reset a password, check the camera and microphone, resend the link or move the appointment. If they can’t, the visit is missed, the slot is wasted and the patient may not try again.

This isn’t a rare problem. A 2020 research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine estimated that 38% of US adults aged 65 and older, about 13 million people, weren’t ready for video visits in 2018. Hearing problems, vision problems and limited tech experience were common reasons. The American Medical Association has also written about why so many patients still can’t connect to doctors via telehealth.

Older patients, patients with limited English, people in rural areas and people on older phones often need the most help. They’re also the patients a practice can least afford to lose to a failed visit.

What a telehealth skills gap costs a practice

For healthcare HR and operations leaders, the costs show up in a few places:

• No-shows and wasted slots when patients give up on joining.
• Longer calls at the front desk while staff fumble through steps they don’t know.
• Clinician time lost when a doctor waits in an empty video room.
• Privacy risk when staff share login details or links carelessly.
• Patient frustration that shows up in reviews and satisfaction scores.

Staff who can guide a patient through the steps calmly turn a failed visit into a completed one.

Telehealth skills checklist for patient-facing staff

Use these 10 skills in job requirements and training plans:

1. Setting up a patient portal account, including email or text verification.
2. Creating and managing secure passwords, and guiding patients through resets.
3. Finding appointments in a health portal:
4. Booking, moving and canceling visits without double-booking.
5. Getting a device ready: camera, microphone, sound, battery and Wi-Fi.
6. Using features during the visit, like mute, camera, chat and screen view.
7. Troubleshooting common problems, like no sound, no video, a frozen screen or a failed login.
8. Setting up a private, quiet space for the visit, and explaining why it matters.
9. Protecting patient privacy, such as never asking for a full password and sending links only through approved channels.
10. Talking patients through steps clearly, in plain language, without rushing.

The US government’s telehealth site has a patient guide on what to know before a telehealth visit. Staff who support patients should know those steps well enough to explain them over the phone.

A simple script for “I can’t join my visit” calls

Give new staff a short script. It keeps calls calm and quick. Here’s one that works for most cases:

1. Stay calm and reassure: “No problem, we’ll get you in. Your doctor will wait.”
2. Check the device: “Are you on a phone, tablet or computer? Is it charged?”
3. Check the link: “Can you find the text or email we sent? Tap the link in it.”
4. Check the login: “Does it ask for a password? Let’s reset it together. I’ll never ask you to read it to me.”
5. Check sound and video: “Do you see a camera or microphone button with a line through it? Tap it.”
6. Have a backup: “If it still won’t work, the doctor can call you by phone at the same time.”
7. Log the issue so the team can spot patterns.

Staff who know the steps in the test can follow this script with ease. Staff who don’t will struggle, however friendly they are.

How to assess telehealth skills

Ask “Could you help a patient join a video visit?” and every candidate says yes. The question is whether they can do it, step by step, while a worried patient waits on the line.

A simulation gives every candidate the same tasks and scores them automatically. It’s fair, quick and easy to run across many applicants. Our guide to hiring with job simulations explains why doing beats describing.

What’s on the Accessing Telehealth Appointments Digital Literacy test?

The Accessing Telehealth Appointments Digital Literacy test is a 22-minute simulation with 22 tasks at the intermediate level. It covers five areas:

These are the kinds of tasks candidates do. There’s no answer key. Each task happens in a real-looking screen.

1. Accounts and passwords: setting up an account and keeping passwords safe.
2. Health portals: finding, viewing, moving and canceling appointments.
3. Device setup: getting a device ready for a telehealth visit.
4. During the visit: using the tools in a video call with a clinician.
5. Troubleshooting and environment: fixing sound, video and login problems, and setting up a private space.

What it doesn’t cover

It doesn’t test clinical knowledge or your specific EHR. For roles that handle patient data, add Cybersecurity Basics. For candidates with mixed digital experience, add Internet Basics.

Which healthcare roles need a telehealth skills test?

Front desk and patient access

They field “I can’t log in” calls every day. Fast, calm troubleshooting is core to the job.

Medical assistants and nurses

They often start virtual visits, check patients in and handle technical hiccups before the clinician joins.

Call centers and patient support teams

Health systems and telehealth providers run support lines that are mostly tech help.

Care coordinators and community health workers

They help patients with chronic conditions keep up with virtual follow-ups.

Digital navigators

Many health systems, libraries and community programs now employ digital navigators whose whole job is helping people get online. This test checks their core skills.

How to read the results and set a pass mark

1. Benchmark first: Have two or three staff who already support patients well take the test.
2. Weight troubleshooting and portal tasks: These are what patients call about most.
3. Look at the privacy tasks closely: Mistakes there carry compliance risk.
4. Plan training for small gaps: A candidate with excellent patient manner and a weak spot in device setup is often worth training.

How to set up the test in Testlify

1. Create an assessment and add the Accessing Telehealth Appointments test.
2. Add related tests for the role, like Cybersecurity Basics or Internet Basics.
3. Invite candidates by email or from your ATS.
4. Compare section scores with your benchmark before you shortlist.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming younger staff know telehealth

Using video apps socially isn’t the same as guiding a patient through a portal and a clinical visit.

Training only clinicians

Doctors and nurses get telehealth training. Front desk staff, who take the problem calls, often don’t.

Ignoring privacy

Fast fixes that skip privacy steps create risk. Test both speed and care.

Testing once and forgetting

Portals and video tools change. Recheck skills when your systems update.

Key takeaways

• Patient-facing staff are the front line of telehealth tech support.
• An estimated 38% of older adults weren’t ready for video visits, so staff skills make a real difference.
• Key skills include portals, passwords, booking, device setup, troubleshooting and privacy.
• A simulation shows what candidates can do in a realistic portal, fairly and at scale.
• Weight troubleshooting and privacy, and train small gaps for otherwise strong candidates.

Ready to see who can help patients get online?

Try the telehealth simulation for free and do the same tasks your candidates will.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)