What is Telehealth?

As communication continues to evolve with the internet and phones, connecting to mental health services is easier than ever. Patients can talk with medical professionals from the comforts of home thanks to telehealth. Telehealth lets patients connect via video conferencing or audio only calls. Now, people can seek quality mental health services when they may have previously been hampered difficult schedules, distance, and other obstacles.  

Psychiatry is the most common field of medicine providing telehealth. Before telehealth, finding psychiatric practitioners across America was difficult since almost half the counties in America do not have psychiatric practitioners to meet the needs of people. This is according to the findings published in The State of Mental Health in America 2018, by Nguyen, T. et al (2017).

Here are some interesting facts about mental health and telehealth:

• Over 40 million Americans across all ages would benefit from quality mental health services
• The number of teens with severe depression has increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015
• Access to insurance and treatment increased because healthcare reforms reduced the number of uninsured adults
• 56% of American adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment
• There is a severe psychiatric practitioner shortage. Certain states have 1/6th the number of practitioners than the average

This is why it is important to consider telehealth. Depending on your scenario, it can either serve as a supplement or even a replacement to in-office visits. To learn more, please call our office at (609) 587 – 9944 or email us at [email protected].