Websites for medical practices and clinics.

A patient choosing a primary care office or a specialist usually has three filters before anything else: is this practice in network with my plan, is anyone accepting new patients, and how soon can I be seen. Many practice websites answer none of them, so the patient calls, waits on hold or books with whichever group spelled it out.

Multi-provider practices add another layer. A family medicine group with a nurse practitioner, two physicians and a behavioral health counselor needs a provider directory that shows who sees children, who speaks Spanish, who offers video visits and which location each person works from. Without it, the front desk becomes a human search engine.

Telehealth raises its own questions. Patients want to know which visits can be done by video, what technology they need and whether you can see them if they are traveling. HHS explains that a telehealth visit takes place where the patient is located, so the clinician generally needs to be licensed or otherwise permitted to practice in that state. Your site should say plainly which states you cover.

Then there are notices federal rules expect on the website. Covered providers that maintain a website must post their HIPAA notice of privacy practices there, and under the No Surprises Act, the right of uninsured and self-pay patients to a good faith estimate must be prominently displayed on the provider's website. Most templates leave both out.