The Benefits Of Telemedicine And Telepsychiatry Services

By William Schmidt


When it comes to going to any type of medical appointment, doing so can often be difficult. While this is the case, there are now Telepsychiatry services which can bring medical professionals into the home. Unlike house calls in the past, the new practice involves direct contact between mental health care providers and clients in two different locations. Whereas, there are also other health care providers which are using telecommunications and telemedicine in different ways.

Telemedicine uses a number of different formats including teleconferencing over land lines, smart phones, Skype and other videoconferencing platforms. When it comes to telepsychiatry, it is considered a subset of telemedicine. In this case, the practice involves psychiatrists and other mental health care workers whom provide evaluations, individual, group or family therapy, education and medication management from a distance.

In addition to direct medical provider to client services, telemedicine also allows primary and mental health care providers the ability to counsel with one another about the best treatment for clients. For example, a primary care provider may believe an individual needs to be seen by a specialist but is not quite sure. When this is the case, the primary care provider can now videoconference with the specialist to discover whether the condition is appropriate for a referral.

Telepsychiatry has already helped clients in a number of ways. For, the practice has proved to be readily accessible and affordable for almost anyone in need of mental health services. Different ways the practice can benefit individuals include, improved access to individuals living in rural area, integrating primary care and mental health care, reducing the need for emergency room visits, reducing the need to reschedule appointments, flexible scheduling around school and work, eliminating transportation issues and reducing barriers of stigma.

While difficult for some people to talk to a computer screen, it is important to remember that it is a person on the screen with which one is talking and not the screen. For, when considering this, it can often be a much easier process. In addition, it can often be easier for people to open and up and discuss difficult and embarrassing issues online rather than in person.

All medical and mental health care providers must be licensed in the state of residence before providing treatment. It should be noted that the client location is always the place in which treatment is provided. As such, it is important that when communicating outside the state of residence, medical professionals and clients consider these factors.

Telemedicine, while a new practice has already discovered that satisfaction is prevalent among clients, mental health providers, primary health care providers and others. For, while sessions may take place over the internet, the practice is basically the same as in an in-office environment when it comes to quality of care, treatment, diagnosis and examinations. Whereas, overall confidentiality and privacy are also of utmost importance, including traditional doctor client privilege.

Ultimately, telemedicine and telepsychiatry can be valuable to people of all ages. For, research has found that assessments and treatment plans can be provided more quickly and efficiently than in a clinic setting. Whereas, since the inception of telemedicine, a number of people now prefer to communicate with mental and health care providers online as doing so can also prevent the transmission of a number of diseases and illnesses.




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