Virtual Care: Frequently Asked Questions

AlayaCare's Virtual Care module allows care providers to hold virtual rather than in-person visits with clients over video from the web or mobile application. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about this new feature.

 Please note that Virtual Care is a premium feature that must be specially enabled for your organization. Contact your Client Success Manager or Client Relationship Manager to learn more.

How will the punch-in/punch-out distances be displayed for virtual visits launched from the mobile or web applications?

If a virtual session for a visit was created (if the employee selected Send invite to client and a link to join the session was successfully sent to the client), the Punch In Distance and Punch Out Distance columns in Visit Approval will display Virtual instead of a distance in meters.

Can you message the client during the video session, for instance if the sound isn't working?

At this time, caregivers and clients can only talk to each other over the video call. However, adding chat functionality is a feature that the product team is considering for future releases. If a client is having trouble enabling their microphone or video, the caregiver can call the client's phone number from the AlayaCare app to connect with them directly.

How does AlayaCare ensure the security of virtual visits?

The service that AlayaCare uses for virtual visits is fully integrated with the AlayaCare application so that it is completely secure as well as HIPAA and PHIPA compliant. As with any other visit in AlayaCare, all the logs associated with a virtual visit are kept secure and within the AlayaCare database. No data from the virtual sessions is ever stored or shared.

For more information, please see How does AlayaCare ensure the security of virtual visits?

What browsers can clients and caregivers use for virtual visits?

For the best experience, AlayaCare recommends that clients and caregivers use Chrome or Safari as their browser when launching or joining a virtual visit. 

Are video sessions from virtual visits recorded?

No, virtual visits are not recorded. The video will not be stored or archived anywhere after the call ends. 

Can more than two people join the video session?

At this time, only two people can join a video session. However, the product team is working on adding the ability to allow other people, such as the client's family members, to join the call as well.

How will virtual visits be handled in billing and payroll?

Virtual visits will be billed and paid according to their bill and pay codes the same way as any other visit in AlayaCare. The setting to allow virtual care at the service code level only determines whether an employee can launch a virtual session for a visit and should not have downstream effects on billing and payroll. 

One exception to keep in mind is if you are using premiums with rules for travel or mileage to pay employees. Since these premium rules are based on client and employee addresses and will not take into account whether a visit has a virtual session, you will either need to exclude service codes that allow virtual visits from these premiums or create separate service codes for virtual and in-person visits (adding the in-person service code only to the premium). 

Will virtual care eventually be integrated into AlayaCare's family portal?

Yes. The product team is working on adding a virtual care component to Family Portal 2.0 sometime in the future. 

Can you send the link to the video session by copy and pasting it rather than sending it by an email?

As of the July 21 release, you will be able to use the Copy invite link button in the visit dialogue to copy the link to the virtual session and send it directly to the client. Clicking this new button will create the virtual session. The client will be able to join the call by clicking the link sent by the care provider.

Is it possible to send the link to join the session to a client via SMS (text message)?

At this time, it is not possible to send the link by text message. However, the infrastructure necessary to send notifications via SMS is currently being developed by the architecture team, so the ability to send the invite for virtual sessions to clients by text message may be possible in the future.