Mental and Behavioral Telehealth in Private Practice

As technology continues to improve — from the computers on our desks to the phones in our hands — it highlights new ways to provide care. And with more clients than ever wanting the convenience of receiving therapy without having to go to an office, the time is right for a change.

This is where Telehealth comes in.

Telehealth provides therapy where and when you need it, offering remote and less densely populated areas the opportunity to experience care. Additionally, Telehealth isn’t hindered by inclement weather and doesn’t need to take a snow day.

To better understand the concerns providers have around using Telehealth in their practice, SimplePractice conducted a survey of non-prescribing mental and behavioral providers in the Mid-Atlantic region in January 2019 to gauge usage and attitudes toward Telehealth.

The potential of Telehealth

Recently, SimplePractice team members presented their findings at the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Research Center 2019 Convergence Telehealth Summit. You can see the research material they assembled, entitled Mental and Behavioral Telehealth in Private Practice: Perspectives of Individual Providers, below.

Questions posed to the Summit’s presenters included:

• Where are we going with this digital connected care revolution?
• How might the convergence of these technologies impact the health of populations and begin to mitigate our greatest health challenges?
• And how do we begin to create viable models within our current work settings?

 

Obstacles and opportunities

As with any new application of technology, awareness and regulations can take some time to catch up. While some insurance payers and states have already accepted Telehealth as a covered service, this is by no means universal. It is vital that Telehealth continues to receive and expand its legislative support to ensure services are both available and covered for all patients.

Right now, early adopters of the feature pave the way for its integration. Expanded usage of Telehealth provides further statistical proof of its effectiveness. Training pre-licensed and licensed clinicians on the benefits and building their confidence in its application will increase Telehealth adoption even more.

The world is connected. As rural communities come online to a greater degree, with more significant growth of their infrastructure, there are even greater opportunities for Telehealth to make an impact.

How to use Telehealth in your practice now

Wondering how you can incorporate Telehealth into your practice?

At SimplePractice, we make it easy to get started with Telehealth. We’ve crafted a letter announcing to clients that you now offer Telehealth, as well as resource images to share on social media and your site to promote Telehealth to your clients, both old and new.

For inspiration, you can also learn about how social worker, therapist, and coach Melissa Douglass helped lift therapy out of the realm of stigma and out to clients through her 100% online practice.

As health and wellness professionals, it’s essential to keep your finger on the pulse of the movement toward Telehealth, to see its current state, and where it will go in the future.