What exactly is "TeleHealth"?

The practice has been in place for over 20 years at the Department of Veterans Affairs and other government organizations that serve patients in rural areas. However, over the last decade, more psychologists have begun offering “telepractice” also often referred to as “telepsychology” or the newer term, “telemental health” and the older, more generic “TeleHealth.” The terms refer to providing psychological services remotely, via telephone or videoconferencing.

 

What is the American Psychological Association's (APA) position on online therapy?

The APA recognizes that the use of the internet and social media has grown rapidly and has gained wide acceptance. As such, at its July 31, 2013, meeting during the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Annual Convention, the APA Council of Representatives approved the Guidelines for the Practice of Tele-psychology. The guidelines were developed by the Joint Task Force on the Development of Tele-psychology Guidelines for Psychologists comprised of representatives from APA, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the APA Insurance Trust (APAIT).Underscoring the importance of the topic and this work, this is the first time APA has jointly developed professional practice guidelines with other organizations. In general, all of the standards of the APA ethics code apply. This includes standards on informed consent, competence to practice, confidentiality, doing no harm, and on how terminations, interruption of service and payment arrangements are handled.

 

Why TeleHealth and is it as reliable as face-to-face therapy?

Frequently, there are those living in rurual areas, and those without reliable transportation, who are unable to access quality psychological care.  A 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey found that less than one-quarter of the estimated 45 million American adults who have a mental illness received treatment. One major reason for the low number: stigma and embarrassment about making contact with a therapist. TeleHealth — be it by phone or video conferencing — can help solve many of these access problems, says Eve-Lynn Nelson, PhD, Assistant Director of Research at the University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine and Telehealth. “Technology really helps us get more bang for our buck and extend our service reach,” says Nelson, who has been researching and providing video-based mental and behavioral health services to children and adults for nearly a decade. A 2008 meta-analysis of 92 studies, for example, found that the differences between Internet-based therapy and face-to-face were not statistically significant (Journal of Technology in Human Services, Vol. 26, No. 2). Similarly, a 2009 review of 148 peer-reviewed publications examining the use of videoconferencing to deliver patient interventions showed high patient satisfaction, moderate to high clinician satisfaction and positive clinical outcomes (Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, Vol. 16, No. 3). In addition, a 2010 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (Vol. 71, No. 7) found that videoconferencing can be successful in treating post-traumatic stress disorder. In that study, researchers compared the effectiveness of 12 sessions of anger management therapy delivered via video to in-person delivery of the same treatment to 125 rural combat veterans with PTSD. The researchers found that the video-based anger management therapy was just as effective as the face-to-face care.

 

How does Dr. Darlene provide TeleHealth services?

Dr. Darlene provides tele-health services via Telephone, SKYPE, and/or FaceTime (Video-Conferencing).

 

What is the cost of TeleHealth service and how do I pay for it?

The cost varies depending on the length of each session, as well as the number of sessions desired.
For specific details, please contact Dr. Darlene on her “CONTACT” page. The TeleHealth service is paid for through PayPal. Simply click on the PayPal icon on this page. Also, it’s important to note that both Medicare and Medicaid, as well as many insurance carriers do cover various TeleHealth services. Please contact your insurance company for further information.