Did you know that over 80% of Americans report they go online at least once daily? So much of our daily lives now have transitioned to online. Most recently health care services! You may have heard of the term “telehealth” already. It includes services like the increasingly popular ‘Teladoc’. If you have, then you are probably aware of how popular web-based services are becoming. If not, then you may be wondering what is telehealth exactly? This is a great question! Telehealth is healthcare related services, both medical and mental, that are provided through the use of technology like video or phone. It is real-time communication between patient and clinician. This is a huge advancement in the healthcare field, especially for mental health and counseling services. When considering telehealth, there are some important things to know.
Things to know about telehealth counseling:
You receive the same level of care as your typical therapy session.
Telehealth counseling uses a secure platform (HIPAA compliant program) to complete therapy through video or phone. You can meet with your therapist as you normally would, but from the comfort of your own home. Research suggests that telehealth counseling is equally effective as face-to-face therapy. Additionally, any therapist that is telehealth certified has received extensive training in telehealth counseling. This ensures that your therapist treats your sessions and treatment as professionally and critically as possible.
The therapist prioritizes your confidentiality.
Before telehealth begins, clinicians will make sure that telehealth is an appropriate option for a client. Telehealth is appropriate for most forms of counseling. In order to maintain confidentiality when using telehealth services, both the clinician and client must ensure they are in a private space that is appropriate for therapy. This will ensure that your information is kept solely between you and the therapist.
Telehealth can prevent gaps in treatment.
One of the greatest benefits of telehealth counseling is the additional flexibility it provides. This can prevent gaps in treatment due to unforeseeable circumstances. For example, here in Florida, we have hurricane season. Hurricanes force businesses to shut down and roads to close. This may interrupt in-person therapy sessions. Luckily, telehealth bridges that gap! Quite simply, if you can stream your favorite tv show then you can do telehealth counseling from home. This flexibility is great since it eliminates travel time/complications, it increases access to your therapist, and covers unplanned complications like weather, illness, or childcare issues.
It’s important to remember that whether you are already in counseling or trying to decide if you should do telehealth counseling or face-to-face, your care is the priority. We would love to help you find out if you would be a good candidate for telehealth; give us a call today.