There is no standard length for a telehealth visit, and picking one out of habit can cost you either quality or capacity. Set it too short and visits feel rushed. Set it too long and you leave patients waiting for appointments that could have been available. The better approach is to set lengths by visit type and then check them against what actually happens.
This guide looks at what research shows, how to break a visit into parts, how to set lengths and buffers, and how to protect quality while you make your schedule more efficient.
What One System Found
A study of UAMS Health in Arkansas analyzed scheduling data from 2017 to 2022 across seven specialties. It measured appointment length from the time the patient was roomed to the end of the visit.
The results changed over time. In 2020, telehealth visits averaged about 93 minutes, compared with about 75 minutes for in-person visits, a period when practices were still learning the format. By 2022, telehealth visits averaged about 40 minutes, while in-person visits stayed near 73 minutes. In psychiatry, 2022 telehealth visits averaged about 42 minutes compared with about 75 minutes for in-person. The same study found that the average wait from scheduling to appointment for telehealth visits fell from about 48 days to about 28 days.
The authors added a caution: shorter telehealth appointments may affect quality of care and warrant further study.
These numbers describe one system and its mix of visit types. They show what happened, not what should happen. What they do show is that visit lengths settle over time as teams get comfortable, and that your own data is a better guide than anyone else’s average.
Break the Visit Into Parts
A telehealth visit is more than the clinical conversation. Planning for each part helps you set a realistic length:
- Joining and tech check. A few minutes for greeting the patient, confirming identity, and fixing any audio or video problems.
- Clinical time. The conversation itself, which varies widely by visit type.
- Wrap-up. Summarizing the plan, confirming next steps, and answering final questions.
- Documentation. Notes, orders, and follow-up tasks, which should not spill into the next patient’s time.
If you schedule only for the clinical conversation, the other three parts will take time from somewhere else, usually from the next visit.
Set Lengths by Visit Type
Different visits need different amounts of time. Consider the main types your practice offers:
- New patient visits need room for history, rapport, and explaining how telehealth works.
- Follow-ups may be shorter if the patient is established and stable.
- Medication checks can be brief, unless there are concerns.
- Results reviews depend on how much explaining the findings require.
- Therapy or counseling sessions have their own norms, and shortening them is not always appropriate.
- Complex or sensitive visits, such as a difficult diagnosis, deserve generous time.
Start with your current in-person lengths, then adjust based on how long visits actually run. Check payer rules before you finalize anything related to time-based billing.
Use Your Own Data
For a few months, compare the scheduled length of each visit type with how long visits actually take. SecureVideo’s account menu includes Session Usage, which is a good place to start looking at your own activity.
Interpret the gaps carefully:
- If visits booked for 30 minutes regularly end at 20, you may be able to add patients, or give each patient a bit more breathing room.
- If visits booked for 30 minutes regularly run to 40, your schedule is promising time you do not have, and patients will wait.
- If lengths vary a lot within the same visit type, look for the cause. It may be the provider, the patient mix, or the technology.
Save Time Before the Visit
Much of what makes visits run long can be handled before they start. Collect forms ahead of time with E-Documents, and let patients use the Virtual Waiting Room to finish paperwork or payment before the provider joins. Reminders that include the join link and support contact reduce time lost to confusion, as covered in scheduling and notifications.
A reminder that asks patients to test their device and find a quiet space can save several minutes at the start of each visit, which adds up over a full day.
Build In Buffers
Buffers absorb overruns and give providers a chance to chart, take a breath, and prepare for the next patient. A reasonable starting point is a few minutes between visits, with more time after complex or emotionally heavy sessions. Adjust based on how often you run late.
Here is a simple way to find the right buffer: for two weeks, note how often each provider starts a visit more than five minutes late. If it happens often, add buffer. If it almost never happens, you may have room to tighten.
If you consistently start late, the schedule is the problem, not the patients. Patients who wait are less patient and more likely to complain, and delays compound as the day goes on. Our guide to waiting room wait times covers how to handle them when they occur.
Protect Quality While You Improve Efficiency
Shorter is not automatically better. Efficiency should come from preparation and good workflow, not from rushing conversations. Some signs you have gone too far:
- Patients say they felt hurried.
- Providers skip key questions to stay on time.
- Follow-up calls increase because issues were not resolved.
- Documentation slips.
Ask patients for feedback after visits, and watch for changes in complaints and follow-up volume as you adjust lengths.
Adjust for Special Situations
Some situations need extra time. A patient who is new to video may need a few extra minutes at the start. A visit that includes an interpreter will run longer, because everything is said twice. A group session has its own rhythm. A caregiver joining the call adds another voice. Build these into your schedule rather than hoping they will fit.
Review Regularly
Lengths that worked last year may not work this year. Review them each quarter. Look at actual durations, wait times, no-shows, provider workload, and patient feedback together. Change one thing at a time so you can see what made a difference.
Common Mistakes
- Scheduling only for the clinical conversation
- Copying another practice’s visit lengths without checking your own data
- Skipping buffers to fit in one more patient
- Shortening visits that need more time, such as first therapy sessions
- Never reviewing lengths after launch
Frequently Asked Questions
Should telehealth visits be shorter than in-person visits?
Not automatically. In one large system, telehealth visits averaged shorter, but the authors cautioned about possible effects on quality. Decide by visit type and your own data.
How much buffer do I need?
Start with a few minutes between visits and adjust. More complex visits need more.
How can I tell if my lengths are right?
Compare scheduled and actual durations, and watch wait times and patient feedback.
Build a Schedule That Works
The right visit length protects both the patient’s experience and your team’s day. Learn more about scheduling and notifications or request a demo.