QUALITY MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Mental health concerns are rapidly growing on a global scale, yet the shortage of mental health professionals and access to treatment is leaving millions of people left to fend for themselves.
Telepsychiatry, a subset of telemedicine, can involve providing a range of services including psychiatric evaluations, therapy (individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy), patient education and medication management. Telepsychiatry can involve direct interaction between a psychiatrist and the patient.
Telehealth is a form of video conferencing allowing psychiatrists and therapists to provide services to patients outside of the office, for example at the patient's home or workplace. It also provides the opportunity for consultation with family members, teachers and other providers involved in the patient's care.
Rural communities are using telehealth to provide the following behavioral and mental health services: Evaluation and diagnosis – Providers can use telehealth technology to observe the patient; administer scales, assessments, and screenings; and diagnose conditions
Under California law, "Telehealth" is the delivery of health care services using information and communication technologies to consult, diagnose, treat, or educate a patient while the patient is at an “originating site” and the health care provider is at a “distant site.” The “originating site" is the site where a
And research to date shows mental health care delivered remotely—also known as telepsychology or teletherapy—is effective. Psychologists—along with psychiatrists, social workers and others—have built a substantial literature base on telehealth interventions that work for a variety of problems and populations.
