The Benefits of Telehealth
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is one of the services we offer here at Rochester Holistic Psychiatry. It is a general term for treatment of psychiatric disorders using regular conversation with a qualified therapist. Talking with a medical professional helps people learn about what is happening with them and why, as well as resources for coping and growth.
One of the ways we offer talk therapy is via telehealth. According to our patient forms,
telehealth is “… the use of electronic information and communication technologies by a health care provider to deliver services to an individual when he/she is located at a different site than the provider.” This is typically done via video call so that the therapist and the patient can interact as if they were in the same room.
There are many benefits to using telehealth. Today, we’d like to illustrate some of those
benefits.
Telehealth promotes increased patient engagement. Patients can take a more active part in their care using electronic tools and other resources to track their progress and communicate with their care team.
Patients enjoy better access to care through telehealth. The patient does not need to travel to the therapist, which eliminates barriers of distance.
Telehealth offers a great degree of convenience. It expands the hours in which appointments can be set and people can be seen. Also, it saves money and time because the patient can receive care from the comfort and safety of home.
Being able to use telehealth for regular consultations with the patient’s care team ensures more effective treatment and monitoring of chronic conditions, from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to TMS follow-up.
Telehealth promotes safety as well, for the patient, the healthcare provider, and everyone near them. If the patient is at home and the provider is at their office, no germs can be spread.
Keeping healthy is the goal for body and mind.
Using telehealth technology also provides benefits for healthcare providers. This way, the provider has greater access to their patients whether they are local or not. Transportation becomes a non-issue, and scheduling is more flexible as well, which improves work-life balance
for all.
Telehealth is good for communication and collaboration between other healthcare professionals as well, so that the patient’s care team is well coordinated. Overhead costs are reduced as well, with less need for office space, upkeep, staffing, and supplies.
Overall, using telehealth as a means of patient care improves satisfaction for all parties. The law protects the privacy and confidentiality of our patients’ information when we use telehealth, just as it does for in-person care. You have the right to withhold or withdraw consent to use telehealth during care at any time without affecting your right to future care. This consent can be revoked in writing at any time. Our goal is to keep you protected while helping you reach a better quality of life.
For more information, write to us anytime on our website or call (585) 442-6960.
