The Future of Telehealth
COVID-19 has been a daily part of our lives for over two years − canceling plans, changing daily routines and forcing us to find new ways to stay connected with friends and loved ones.
Even the way we access healthcare has changed. Telehealth is the “new normal”.
Instead of going to your therapist’s office, many have found themselves logging into virtual waiting rooms and having online sessions for the past two years. Some have found ease in connecting with their therapist from the comfort of their own home. Others have been yearning to get back to the in-person, face-to-face connection that once was commonplace in the therapy world.
Wherever you fall on that spectrum, there are a few important questions that need to be addressed:
Is Telehealth New? Do People Like it?
Telehealth – which by definition can be delivered via phone, video or both – actually has been around since the 1960’s. One of the primary reasons as to why therapists began offering telehealth was an effort to reach populations that could not easily access mental health services. While the service has been around for decades, telehealth was far from commonplace. The pandemic changed all of that.
What originally started as phone calls decades ago has now evolved into secure video conferencing with mental health professionals. During the shelter-in-place orders, we saw the number of telehealth users skyrocket. As we’re slowly coming out of the pandemic, many individuals want to continue online therapy.
Here’s a snapshot of what the data says:
The American Psychiatric Association conducted a nationwide poll in which 43% of individuals stated they want to continue telehealth services when the pandemic is over. (https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/New-Nationwide-Poll-Shows-an-Increased-Popularity-for-Telehealth-Services)
A recent U.S. Department of Health & Human Services study found a 63-fold increase in Medicare telehealth during the pandemic.
How Effective is Telehealth?
So, telehealth has been around for a while, a number of people like it and more people utilized it during the pandemic. But does telehealth actually work?
In short, yes! While it may feel like a huge departure from how we’ve traditionally viewed mental health therapy, telehealth really does work.
Whether you’re trying to learn new skills to improve emotional regulation, seeking EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy to work through past trauma or just wanting to better cope with the stressors of everyday life, telehealth is more than a viable option.
Don’t just take our word for it, here are the takeaways from a few recent studies:
An APA Study found telehealth services to be effective in treating depression, anxiety and adjustment disorders.
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, PTSD interventions delivered in-person versus video conferencing were found to be equally effective. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1357633X17730443)
In a recent literature review, it was determined that “videoconferencing is an accessible and effective modality for therapy delivery.”
Is Telehealth Here to Stay?
While no one can predict the future, the data suggests that telehealth is likely to continue being used as a primary method of mental health treatment. Some may prefer in-person treatment, but for those that are seeking the convenience of online therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma, co-occurring disorders, amongst other things, telehealth will continue to remain a viable and effective treatment option.