In the mental healthcare industry, telehealth services are becoming more prevalent, affecting both patients’ lives and healthcare providers’ operations. There are several factors that might prohibit patients from obtaining adequate healthcare. One of the many factors is that some people who live in rural areas may not have access to proper healthcare treatment, which makes the existence of telehealth essential for certain patients and expands the reach of providers.
With the use of telehealth, clients and doctors can communicate from a number of locations, including: their homes, clinics and the community. Below are some of the benefits of telehealth services for health care providers.
Time efficient for clients
You will have more freedom and flexibility in terms of scheduling appointments for clients. This also allows you to extend your services beyond normal working hours because of no walk in visits. Such flexibility will reduce the rate of appointment cancellation.
Effective quality of care
According to recent research, patients with mental health and addiction issues are now often treated in primary care offices rather than specialty care facilities. If you are a primary care physician, you can take advantage of this and utilize telehealth services as a way to manage, connect, and enhance treatment using approaches such as tele-consultation, tele-supervision, and tele-education.
Reduction in workforce
Telehealth service is 100% operated on a remote basis. This will make your job as a healthcare provider easier because you don’t need staff to help you operate.
Access to clients’ residences
As an alternative to relying only on a client’s description of their home and living conditions, telehealth allows you to view inside a client’s house, and evaluate if an in-person visit to the client’s home is necessary.
Live psychotherapy and evaluation
During screen sharing, you can easily present videos, presentations, and other images to a client during psychoeducation, or educational transmission of information regarding medical approaches or any other diagnostics. This method may also be used for mental health and drug use examinations, providing you with feedback recorded in real-time.
Rapid action to emergencies
You may be able to help clients by directing them to call emergency systems as an immediate response in times of emergency. The app will already have the client’s location and emergency dispatchers will gain immediate access to it once they are called. This is more efficient than having clients provide their location manually through the phone.
Prevent providers’ burnout and weariness
Burnout is common amongst healthcare providers, because their job requires so much time and effort. Things like lengthy-paperwork, and family obligations are also contributing factors. Telehealth can help prevent burnout as it provides more flexibility and less stress.
Conclusion
Telehealth can increase quality of life because of its convenience. It helps people who are suffering with mental illness manage their mental health from the comfort of their own home. This convenience applies to both the patient and the provider. Investment in telehealth will make it easier to reach out to clients and save you more money; and, it ensures long-term continuity of care for patients.
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//redappleapp.com/hcp?practiceType=mental_health
Which of these cases did you find most interesting and why?
References:
//store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/SAMHSA_Digital_Download/PEP21-06-02-001.pdf
//telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/telehealth-for-behavioral-health/billing-for-telebehavioral-health/
//blog.evisit.com/virtual-care-blog/how-telemedicine-is-changing-mental-health
//www.himss.org/resources/healthcare-investing-trends-report
