Over the past several years, we have taken advantage of evolving technologies to interact with friends and family, work remotely from home, and connect professionally via synchronous meetings. With the introduction of video conferencing to the personal and professional worlds, it is possible to connect with people across the globe from the comfort of your own home.
Even the most stubbornly resistant to change and technology integration are now beginning to see the value in offering telehealth services for their patients. The use of phones, tablets, and computers to connect with patients is now becoming standard practice across the United States and beyond. As telehealth continues to evolve, health care practitioners, therapists, and specialists seek efficient and comprehensive ways to engage with their patients. With some wonderful work being done via the world wide web, here are some reasons that telehealth therapy is becoming a viable and wonderful option for patients:
Those patients who have a need for ongoing care and difficulty getting to a physical location can easily connect with their caregivers online. Video visits reduce the amount of effort and time it takes to connect physically, and it becomes easier for them to comply with their treatment plans. Additional benefits exist for those who feel the need to reach out in times of distress, for it becomes easier for a therapist to manage these in-between sessions that may pop up from time to time.
Follow-up visits and regular, ongoing care may be a struggle for those that struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Knowing that they can connect to their caregivers from the comfort and convenience of their own home takes additional pressure off these appointments, making it more likely that a regular schedule of care will be followed.
Mental health processes should be conducted with the utmost integrity when it comes to providing patient confidentiality and comfort. With the one-on-one option for virtual office visits, a patient and therapist can develop a cohesive working relationship in which mutual trust and appreciation for one another fosters a more open working space. Any test results that must be discussed can be done in the privacy of a patient’s home, and decisions about care going forward can be made with confidence that only doctor and patient are involved.
Studies have consistently proven that telehealth therapies are an effective way to treat anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Video visits are also a great option for patients who are either unable or unwilling to seek in-person care. Virtual visits also allow providers to see more patients daily, helping to increase the effectiveness of this type of service. Telehealth therapy can also be used successfully to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with little to no loss of effectiveness when compared to in-person care.
With pharmacy delivery services and telehealth therapy services at our fingertips, medication management becomes easier and more efficient. Providing your therapist with accurate information will allow them to make decisions regarding ongoing medication needs, and the use of a delivery service allows you to receive the medication that you need, all without ever leaving the comfort and safety of your home.
After admission to a hospital for a medical procedure or illness, it can be extremely difficult for a patient to travel to a physical location for therapy. Video consultations are a perfect way to ensure that ongoing care can be administered without missing a beat. Your therapist can make a determination of your well-being and response to treatment while taking steps to avoid stepping off your care path.
Telehealth allows for more “face to face” time with patients. It reduces potential roadblocks to treatment, and allows for a more comprehensive plan that works for all. The end result of this type of care is a healthier, happier, more satisfied patient who become their own best advocates for treatment and wellness.
Learn More About Telehealth Therapy.
Telehealth (sometimes called online therapy) might sound like a good idea, but you might be wondering how it works. It’s common to be skeptical of new things. Meeting with an online psychologist about teenage depression, marriage counseling, and other issues may be new to you and your family. After all, talking to a therapist you just met might seem daunting, but this kind of personal interaction through technology seems even stranger. However, the process is straightforward and very flexible.
Telehealth therapy works by establishing a medium of communication between patients and their therapists who are not in the same physical location.
When you want to have a session with your therapist, we facilitate a channel to have your conversations over the internet. The communication mode can either be video or audio-based and is mutually agreed upon by the patient and therapist to have what works best for them. In the video-based model, a video chat platform is made available where you get to talk to your therapist. Both the therapist and patient must have internet-enabled smartphones or computers, equipped with a web camera to aid in the video capture. Group therapy sessions are also possible, where everyone involved gets to see and hear those in the session.
Information security is a primary source of concern for many. We see that you have a secure communication channel and whatever is said between you and your therapist stays between the two of you.
Telehealth therapy takes many forms to deliver counseling, and the method used is arrived at to best suit the needs and state of the patient.
The internet is the backbone of telehealth therapy since it provides a broader network through which you connect to the therapist. An internet connection of whichever form, be it wireless or wired by both the therapist and patient, are required for a teletherapy session to work.
Video conferencing technologies make up a large percentage of the most preferred method by both patients and therapists. For a video conferencing session to work, both therapist and patient must be using telecommunication devices with video conferencing capabilities.
Another technology used in telehealth therapy is that of audio conferencing. For instance, it works in most parts, like the video conferencing option, and the only difference is that it lacks the former’s visual capabilities.
One of the most beneficial aspects of telehealth therapy is its convenience, especially now that we are in the middle of a pandemic. As a parent, you do not have to worry about the risk of your child contracting COVID-19 during a trip to their therapist.
Still, on the therapist’s trips, telehealth therapy eliminates travel expenses that would otherwise have been incurred. The online sessions also improve on timeliness since there’s no risk of you running out of gas or being held up in traffic on your way to the therapist.
Having online therapy sessions gives you exposure to a broader range of therapists who have otherwise been out of reach for physical sessions. This diversity gives you the benefit of getting connected with the very best of therapists you can find.
The fact that we are in a pandemic with most of us in lock-down is no reason for you to keep postponing that session to the therapist. Telehealth Therapy has been around for quite a while, and now is when its benefits and potential are more evident.
From the comfort of your own home, you can get to share with your therapist that emotion that you felt otherwise uncomfortable opening up about at their office. In a broader perspective of things, telehealth therapy opens up more therapy time to us a people.
Even after the pandemic is long gone, telehealth therapy will maintain its presence among us since its proven to be a service worthy of its spot in the mental health space.
Learn more about telehealth therapy.
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