Telemedicine services provide more and more people with access to high-quality care from the comfort of their homes. Telepsychiatry specifically has seen a significant boost in the number of patients receiving the therapy they need to manage and overcome their disorders. Telepsychiatry is a subset of telemedicine and has the capability to deliver a broad array of behavioral health services such as psychiatric evaluations, medication management, therapy (individual, group, and family) as well as patient education. As long as you have a smartphone or computer access, you can have your telepsychiatry session anywhere. This article will discuss a few of the many benefits of telepsychiatry.
Expands Access
Telepsychiatry puts access to critical mental health services possible for men, women, and children who live in rural or remote areas where psychiatric nurse practitioners may be scarce. Many states, like Alaska, have lifted geographic limitations, allowing mental health providers from other states to practice telepsychiatry within their borders. Psychiatric nurse practitioners can provide services in correctional institutions when the patient and client cannot always physically face to face. With the implementation of telepsychiatry, a huge roadblock has been removed and people can now get the appropriate care they need with the click of a button.
Saves Time
With psychiatric nurse practitioners now serving clients over long distances through telepsychiatry, travel time has gone from upwards of 2 hours, to now a few seconds to walk over to a laptop. This is a game changer for many clients because they no longer have to navigate time off from work, change daycare schedules, or make time shifts from their normal daily routine. Psychiatric nurse practitioners may actually be able to provide service to more clients each day if they have no need to commute to a physical office.
Comfort
For a long time, there has been a stigma around mental illness and mental health as a whole. This has prevented many people from seeking the help that they so desperately need. For patients concerned about appearing publicly at a psychiatric nurse practitioner’s office, working with clinical mental health counselors from home via telepsychiatry can ease their anxieties and promote acceptance of treatment. Aside from any stigmas that may exist, many people are extremely nervous when they have to go to the “doctor’s office” for anything. With telepsychiatry, an individual can have their session in their living room, in a park, or anywhere in the world, they feel comfortable. Comfortable patients usually have a more open mind which can make the overall counseling experience much smoother for everyone involved.
Ease of Communication and Monitoring
Telepsychiatry enables all necessary communication and monitoring to take place via a phone, laptop, or desktop computer. This makes it easier for psychiatric nurse practitioners to communicate, monitor, and follow up with their patients in real time.
Through telepsychiatry, psychiatric nurse practitioners are able to send their patients appointment reminders, mental health resources, and various types of information. Being able to do all of this at the touch of a button versus having to schedule an in-person visit ensures that patients get the care they need without delay.
Furthermore, telepsychiatry allows the symptoms of patients to be monitored through physical view or via sensors connected to apps. through remote patient sensors and telemedicine apps. Telepsychiatry ensures that the optimal frequency of communication can be maintained, to maize each patient’s individual treatment plan.
If you’d like to learn more about how I use telepsychiatry to provide care for my clients, feel free to contact me here. I look forward to speaking with you.