Telepsychiatry Brings Appointments to You

What is telepsychiatry?

Telepsychiatry (also called telepsych) is a subspecialty of telemedicine, which allows health care to be provided from a distance using technology such as videoconferencing¹. Through telepsych, mental health appointments such as psychiatric evaluations, therapy sessions, education appointments, or medication management can be performed via videoconferencing. These appointments are live interactions between the client and the provider.

Why is telepsychiatry important?

For starters, there are many barriers to treatment. Some of the most common barriers to mental health treatment are: transportation issues, difficulty taking time off from work, and lack of childcare². Telepsych directly removes these barriers. The appointments can be held at any location, meaning the appointments come to the client. Time is saved because travel is not required. If you have internet access through computer or smartphone, you can participate in a telepsych appointment. It is that simple.

References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2017, January). What is Telepsychiatry? Retrieved September 09, 2018, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-telepsychiatry
2. Young, J. L. (2014, January 29). Addressing Mental Health Treatment Barriers. Retrieved September 09, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-your-adult-child-breaks-your-heart/201401/addressing-mental-health-treatment-barriers