Telehealth Success: How Telemedicine improves Mental Health

The public health emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the concept of telehealth and mental health care into the mainstream.?

With smartphones and broadband connections becoming more common, the pandemic kickstarted patients to seek mental healthcare through text message platforms, self-help apps, and video conferencing.?

This was due in part to pandemic-era policy changes that accelerated telehealth usage in mental health. In fact, research from the Journal of American Medical Association showed a rapid growth in telehealth services for mental health care, from 39.4% in 2019 to 88.1% in 2022.

Whether the federal government decides to return to pre-pandemic telehealth policies after 2024 remains to be seen. But it’s clear that telemedicine will be a staple of mental health going forward. So here’s what you need to know.

Telemedicine in mental health?

Telehealth transcends geographical barriers and expands your clinical reach through two modalities:

• Asynchronous telehealth provides secure messaging platforms for more efficient medication adjustments and refills
• Real-time telehealth provides video consultations that replicate the intimacy of in-person visits while maximizing patient-provider convenience

A variety of healthcare professionals can use telehealth to provide mental health care, including mental health and primary care providers, primary care and other allied healthcare professionals. Telehealth can be used to treat mental and emotional distress through talk therapy and behavioral interventions services such as individual/group counseling and peer support groups.

Opportunities telehealth for mental healthcare?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) strongly supports the use of telehealth for behavioral health care. It provides a convenient alternative for clinicians and patients, including:?

• Care collaboration: Patients can be monitored remotely, obtain their health data, learn about their health, and get more information on their health. In this way, telemedicine can improve continuity of care via remote patient monitoring and timely interventions.
• Physical limitations: Telehealth supports patients with physical limitations, visual or hearing impairments, or those facing isolation, by bridging geographical and physical barriers. Patients also don’t have to choose between essential daily needs and getting behavioral health care.
• Prescribing medications: Mental health providers often prescribe controlled and non-controlled medications. Before COVID-19, controlled substance prescribing via telemedicine was difficult to do, with most states requiring in-person visits. However, the extension of the temporary flexibilities allows DEA-registered practitioners to continue prescribing some controlled medications.?

For its advantages, telehealth also has issues with digital divides and privacy concerns. To ensure optimal patient care, it’s important to find the right telehealth solution, and one that protects patient data.

Ready to Get Started?

Telehealth has revolutionized the healthcare landscape, providing patients convenient access to care and enabling clinicians to expand their reach and improve patient outcomes. For its advantages, telehealth also has issues with digital divides and privacy concerns. To ensure optimal patient care, it’s important to find the right telehealth solution, and one that protects patient data.

Though it may not be a one-size-fits-all approach to delivering care, telehealth offers valuable opportunities for providing access to mental health care in remote or underserved areas. It's also evolving rapidly, addressing many of these challenges over time.