Telemedicine The New Trend In Psychiatric Healthcare
Although diagnosable mental illness can be found in a large portion of American citizens, the fact is that treatment for those illnesses is often brushed under the rug or treated as less important. Because the wounds of mental illness are “psychic” or mental and emotional rather than physical, those who can’t easily make it to a psychiatrist’s appointment don’t make it a priority. It’s understandable why: sometimes, it’s intimidating or even physically difficult to make it to an appointment with a psychiatrist. Taking care of yourself, however, involves taking care of every part of yourself, and a HIPAA compliant video conference with a mental health professional may be the answer to your problems.
How Telemedicine Psychiatry Can Help The Chronically Ill
Heart disease, cancer, COPD, and diabetes make up 70% of healthcare spending in the United States. All of these diseases can make it very difficult for sufferers to make to out of the house and to regular doctor’s appointments, let alone psychiatrist’s appointments. Yes mental illness is found in 30 to 35% of the chronically ill population. Telehealth solutions would involve these patients talking to their clinicians in a HIPAA compliant video conference, often through simple programs like Skype. This lessens the physical toll put on a chronically ill patient’s body, while giving them the same level of care they would receive had they visited their clinician in person.
The Telemedicine Platform Isn’t Just For The Physically Sick
There are plenty of reasons why someone would choose a HIPAA compliant video conference with their psychiatrist or therapist over meeting in person. Many of those who suffer from certain mental illnesses feel unable to leave their homes, and some live too far from their clinician’s office to go to regular visits from a practical perspective. Telemedicine video conferencing can also be offered to those making temporary, but long visits to other countries. It’s an excellent option, for example, for students studying abroad … especially when you consider the fact that things like culture shock often trigger depressive episodes.
Benefits Of Telemedicine
Telemedicine reimbursement is often asked about by patients, and with good reason. Actually, 22 U.S. states currently require that telemedicine visits be reimbursed at the same rate as in … person visits. Due to the newness of the field, that number can be expected to grow as well. Furthermore, it’s been statistically proven that 92% of telemedicine patients kept their appointments, compared to 87% of in … person patients. This proves that the advantages of telemedicine apply not only to the patient, but to the clinician.
Ultimately, telemedicine is not just a “last resort”, but a preferred option for many. It gives patients and clinicians the opportunity to be open and honest in an environment they feel is comfortable. No wonder it yields great results!