Going Telemental

Telemental health (TMH) is considered by many to be the future of mental healthcare, with some claiming that these methods should replace more traditional approaches. Early teletherapeutic initiatives demonstrate an immediate set of benefits for patients including improved access to care, reduced costs, better schedule flexibility, greater environmental familiarity, and higher rates of patient engagement. Notable limitations to TMH include enhanced privacy concerns, the variable digital literacy of certain populations/persons, and technological instability. However, other limitations regarding therapeutic relationships, experiences, and settings have gone undertheorized and are not sufficiently represented in the current research. This chapter surveys these considerations and argues that digital medical interventions are unable to effectively replicate the same degree of ‘contact' and ‘intimacy' available in physical care; providers should therefore be cautious in wholly replacing in-person methods or in implementing a standalone paradigm of digital care.

Home direct-to-consumer telehealth solutions for children with mental health disorders and the impact of Covid-19

Delivery of mental health treatment in the home can close gaps in care. Telehealth also provides access to healthcare that has been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2016, a home direct-to-consumer telehealth program was initiated. Mental health encounters made up a significant portion of all telehealth encounters and COVID-19 had a significant impact on accelerating the utilization of telehealth. Telemental health has been more successful at meeting targeted volumes than the overall health system. Of all the mental health diagnoses before and during COVID-19, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder were most common. The direct-to-consumer telehealth program saved patients a significant amount of travel miles and associated time, based on data from the period before COVID-19. Payment reimbursement for direct-to-consumer telehealth professional services was similar to reimbursement for in-person visits. This program demonstrates direct-to-consumer telehealth is a feasible and acceptable care modality for a variety of youth mental health disorders.