4 Telemedicine Benefits for Mental Health

3/30/2020

In this blog, we'll take a look at several telemedicine benefits for mental health. Because let's face it, going to see medical professionals can be a problem for numerous people because of various reasons.

After reading this blog, you'll see how telemedicine can be a total gamechanger as a patient. It's something that can help many who otherwise would not seek treatment and others who wouldn't be able to get treatment because of their circumstances.

Let's dive right in.

Telemedicine Definition

What is telemedicine exactly? Does telemedicine mean people just call their counselors and medical professionals and have a chat by phone?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines telemedicine as "the practice of medicine when the doctor and patient are widely separated using two-way voice and visual communication (as by satellite or computer)."

As telemedicine relates to mental health counseling, it's also called telepsychiatry, a subset of telemedicine. With telepsychiatry, patients and counselors can communicate through live interactive sessions.

From home, connecting with your mental health counselor at their office via a HIPAA compliant platform like Clocktree would be an excellent example of telemedicine. With telemedicine, counselors can meet individually with a single patient, conduct sessions for group therapy, and meet with children, and others.

Telemedicine Benefits

Now, let's take a look at several of the benefits of telemedicine and how it's helping patients get access to their mental healthcare services.

1. It Saves Time

Telemedicine saves time. Many patients have to leave work early and travel miles for their counseling sessions. However, with something like telemedicine, time can instantly be saved. People can conduct a counseling session right from their location, cutting out the problem of travel time.

2. It Saves Money

For many, when it comes to getting to a counseling session or doctor's appointment, they might have to travel. This can mean having to pay for the cost of fuel.

However, other than the costs of fuel, many people might also have to pay for childcare. And having to pay for gasoline and childcare regularly can quickly add up. With telemedicine, these issues can be taken care of with ease.

3. Telemedicine Allows Patients to Connect in Times When They Normally Couldn't

Another considerable benefit of telemedicine is that it allows patients to connect with therapists during times when they usually couldn't.

For example, maybe a patient has a crisis while out of town and needs to connect with their counselor. With emergent situations like this, many people can efficiently connect with their counselors through a telemedicine session.

Other times counseling by telemedicine might make sense is when a patient is physically ill, out of town for work, or unable to travel because of something like the COVID-19 quarantine.

4. Telemedicine and Privacy

With telemedicine, patients can be at ease about the privacy of their counseling sessions and mental health treatment. Because of telemedicine, many patients who otherwise wouldn't seek out counseling out of fear of being stigmatized can now get the help they need right from home. This is a huge deal for many patients.

Recap

Telemedicine is transforming the way that patients and healthcare professionals interact. It's making care more accessible for patients. And when it comes to mental health, it can be a gamechanger.

As this blog has shown, counseling through telemedicine (telepsychiatry) can save time and save money for many patients. Additionally, telemedicine provides a way for patients to connect with their counselors when they otherwise couldn't.

And finally, interactive counseling through telemedicine ensures patient privacy. In other words, patients don't have to worry about the judgment of others as it relates to their counseling sessions.

If you are looking to book a telemedicine therapy session with Megan Logan, MSW, LCSW, book a counseling appointment today or contact us with questions. We'd love to connect with you and get you started with a counseling plan that fits you and your schedule.

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15 Comments

Charlotte Fleet link

5/14/2021 02:43:41 pm

Thank you very much for explaining the benefits of telemedicine methods for mental health. I love how you said that it can help to save patients money on traveling expenses. I think that it would also be great for making the care more accessible for patients when they need it.

Megan Logan

7/8/2021 02:37:30 pm

Absolutely! Telehealth provides convenience and makes a lot of sense for many people. One benefit the pandemic provided--to make telehealth more available!

kate hansen link

5/14/2021 02:45:07 pm

I loved how you mentioned that telemedicine can help with issues of money. My sister was telling me about how she is wanting to look into seeing a doctor about her mental health issues that she has been struggling with for the past couple of weeks and was wondering what would be the best way to get help. I'll make sure to pass this information along to her so that she can look into finding a telemedicine service that can help her.

Megan

7/8/2021 02:34:41 pm

Hope your sister connected with a telehealth provider. Alma is a possible resource to look into as they offer in person and telehealth providers.

Adam Golightly link

5/17/2021 01:13:15 pm

My sister is having a lot of problems with her mental health, and she would really like to get some counseling online in order to be safer. She would really like to get some help from a professional because it would prevent a lot of problems with the right telemedicine. It was interesting to learn about how it can help them to save a lot more money while connecting with the medicine that can allow them to be a lot safer.

7/8/2021 02:36:01 pm

Telehealth is a great resource and offers flexibility and can help save with time and money. Hope your sister got connected with a provider!

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1/4/2022 07:02:46 pm

Thanks for sharing nice information with us. I like your post and all you share with us is up to date and quite informative. I would like to bookmark the page so I can come here again to read you, as you have done a wonderful job.

Megan Logan link

1/4/2022 07:39:40 pm

Thanks for visiting the website. I have not consistently shared posts in a good while, but hope to in the future.

Olivia Smart link

4/5/2022 01:11:54 pm

I liked how you said that telemedicine can help to save you money because of travel. My daughter has some regular therapy sessions, but we've been wondering if there's another option that would save money on travel. We'll be sure to ask her provider if there is a virtual option that we can look into.

John Carston link

5/3/2022 06:59:26 pm

I found it interesting when you said that you would feel comfortable with the telehealth option because of privacy. My cousin mentioned to me a couple of days ago that she was hoping to find a treatment to relieve her back pain, and she asked if I had ave any idea what would be the best option to do if she is not comfortable going outside. Thanks to this helpful article, I'll be sure to tell her that she can consult a well-known telehealth service as they can answer all her inquiries and will provide proper treatment.

Victoria Addington link

5/19/2022 09:22:42 pm

Thank you for letting us know that privacy is protected with telehealth since we can get help right from home. My friend is having internal struggles with transitioning. I think she should try telehealth transgender counseling to give her clarity.

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7/11/2022 03:29:28 am

Very well explained! I have learned many great things from your articles. I have been checking out all of your blogs as well, thanks for sharing this.

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11/6/2022 03:33:55 am

Thanks for sharing this meaningful information with us.

Keep Posting!

Steve Smith link

1/14/2023 04:14:46 am

It helped when you said that telepsychiatry study is connected to mental health concern treatment. A friend told me last night that he was hoping to find a substance abuse treatment for his brother who needs to recover from alcohol abuse because of past traumas. He asked if I had any idea what would be the best option to consider. I wanted to thank you for the information. I'll tell him it will be much better if he consults a trusted behavioral service as they can help provide proper treatment.

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