Question 1

How can I combat Zoom fatigue symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Videoconferencing and remote professional services are now a regular practice in many industries. However, these remote calls can lead to feelings of fatigue.

If you find yourself exhausted by all of the video calls in your life, here are a few tips:

Schedule “no meeting” blocks of time. Make sure there are parts of your day when you are away from a screen.
Avoid multitasking. When you are on a call, focus on the business of the call. Avoid pulling up a second window to read emails or conduct other work. Multitasking during calls leads to a loss of productivity and difficulty remembering what occurred in the meeting.
Limit the number of calls. Do what you can to cut down on your overall number of calls. Group calls with separate people or teams together where feasible and appropriate. If a video call is not actually necessary, resolve the issues via phone, email, or a collaborative document. Do not default to a video call for every type of meeting. If you are meeting a stranger for the first time, such as a networking connection, for example, video calls can feel personal and invasive; start with a phone call.
Take breaks. If your call lasts more than an hour, it is important to take breaks. Get up and walk around, use the restroom, get a glass of water. Everyone will have more energy and remain more productive as a result.
Turn off your self-view. Video call programs like Zoom default to displaying your own video as well as others on the call. Staring at your own face can be distracting and increase stress and anxiety. Hide yourself from your own view so you can focus on the other people on the call.
Limit on-screen stimuli. In addition to hiding your face and keeping other windows closed, do what you can to limit what you see on-screen. Encourage people to take calls in front of plain backgrounds instead of a room full of objects. Seeing five different rooms full of furniture can cause disorientation and increase mental fatigue.

Learn more in our complete article, "Videoconferencing Fatigue and What to Do About It."

Question 2

What is Zoom Fatigue, and why does it occur?

Accepted Answer

As the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues into its second year, people have become accustomed to handling most or all of their personal and professional interactions remotely. Videoconferencing has become a normal part of daily life. Videoconferencing fatigue, now commonly called “Zoom fatigue” in reference to one of the most popular videoconferencing platforms, refers to the exhaustion caused by constant video calls.

While Zoom fatigue is not yet an official diagnosis, many psychologists state that the condition is both real and prevalent in the new pandemic era.

Constant video calls on any platform, including Google, Skype, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, and other professional platforms can lead to fatigue. People can start to feel extra irritable, less energized, constantly “on the clock” for work, confused or awkward during meetings, and isolated even while communicating with others.

There are scientific reasons for these feelings. Video calls can make people feel like they are always “on.” People are hyper-aware of their appearance, their mannerisms, the sound of their voice, and they can begin to feel like they are “performing” in a way that is not true of in-person interactions. The silence on the other end of the line when people mute their microphones, delays in response time, as well as the added effort necessary to identify nonverbal cues via video chat, contribute to stress and fatigue as well.

Video calls from home also allow us to become easily distracted. When technology fails us--the WiFi goes out, someone’s camera or microphone fails to work, etc.--we can feel even more overwhelmed.

Learn more in our complete article, "Videoconferencing Fatigue and What to Do About It."

Question 3

How can I improve the telehealth experience for those with hearing difficulties or who are deaf?

Accepted Answer

You and your team may treat persons who have hearing difficulties, whether they are hard of hearing or death. Consider the following in your workflow, such as involving staff to troubleshoot audio quality, involving a sign language interpreter, and sharing your screen:

Check to make sure if the patient is understanding you. Have them repeat back what you said from time to time.
If you have a telepresenter (a staff member on the patient side), they can tell you if its poor audio quality or if its good quality but the patient just can’t hear you because of their impairment. You can have the telepresenter repeat your words to the patient during your appointment.
If the patient knows American Sign Language, you can easily include an ASL interpreter into the videoconferencing session as part of a group chat.
Type out what you want the patient to know and screen share it with them. Make sure to use a big text so they can easily see the words. You can put your words in a Word document or the like, then click screen share. Problem solved!
If all else fails, arrange for the patient to be seen in person. Usually this is not necessary as there are so many ways to ensure good quality of audio. These days, audio via technology should not differ much from the audio in person.

Check out our full post on "Telepsychiatry for the Hearing Impaired – Top 10 Tips."

Question 4

How do you optimize internet speeds, audio and video?

Accepted Answer

Internet Speed: Anyone can test the bandwidth by going to websites like speedtest.net. Upload speeds of over 3mps are generally effective if there are not a whole lot of other programs running on the computer. However, it’s probably best to shoot for higher speeds and your internet service provider can give you options. If you can afford it, its best to have the highest speeds the company can offer. Also, ask for “dedicated bandwidth” which some companies offer that prevents your neighbors internet usage to bring down your own bandwidth. Also, keep in mind that other devices running in the same household can hog up bandwidth and reduce the quality of the telehealth connection.

Computer: Most computers these days have enough power for videoconferencing. However, computers that have a minimum of 8 gigs of RAM and I7 processors provide a more reliable videoconferencing experience (you might be able to get away with using an I3 or I5 processor, but this sometimes results in a slow computer response).

Video: Most (but not all) computers these days have cameras that are adequate for videoconferencing. If your computer does not have a good camera, webcams can be purchased cheaply ($50-100). While 720p video mode (“HD ready”) may be adequate, it is helpful to have a 1080p resolution (High Definition).

It is a good idea to do a test run with the patient, clinic, or hospital, prior to the appointment to determine what equipment is being used and to experience the quality of the videoconferencing appointment. Look to make sure there is no pixilation, freezing, graininess, or blurry video. Make sure the video and audio are in sync--- in other words, the audio is not lagging behind the video. Make sure that the audio is clear and that you can easily understand what the other person is saying. Both parties (patient and doctor) should be able to talk at the same time and still hear each other if the audio is working correctly.

Paying attention to and optimizing the quality of video and audio will improve the telehealth experience for everyone.

How can I combat Zoom fatigue symptoms?

What is Zoom Fatigue, and why does it occur?

How can I improve the telehealth experience for those with hearing difficulties or who are deaf?

How do you optimize internet speeds, audio and video?

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