Telehealth in America: Is it a Fad?
There is a fairly new tool being used today. It is called telehealth (telemedicine). In this work we shall explore together the complexities of telehealth and then you can make your decision whether to use it or not.
What is Telehealth?
Forged in the time of COVID 19, telehealth offered a way to communicate without fear of spreading the disease. Telehealth bloomed as a way for doctors and therapists to meet with clients without putting them in danger or because of the distance between them.
After the pandemic doctors, therapists, and patients decided they would continue to meet because it was so convenient bringing healthcare into a clients’ home. To make it possible to use telehealth, the government of the United States changed policies allowing regulations that adapted to telehealth to allow reimbursement for providers.
Ever since, telehealth has offered patients increased access to healthcare providers allowing patients to receive remote consultations and recommendations that the client would have needed to get by traveling to the office of their provider. Continuing improvements in technologies will bring smoother telehealth experiences with better audio and video quality.
The Cons of Using Telehealth
Although the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, there are some negative things to consider before you use telehealth. One is the need for a reliable internet connection. Access to the internet is not had by everyone, so there are great disparities between those who have and have not. There has been a government effort to change this in the US through government sponsored internet for those who meet the requirements.
There is also the problem with reimbursement to doctors and therapists. They have considerable and formidable hoops to jump through with insurance companies for payment. Medicare and Medicaid have so far kept up paying for telehealth, but many other insurance companies have not been as nice, they often are seen denying claims.
Then there is the problem of some medical and psychiatric visits that require an in-person examination. One cannot address a broken bone or some serious conditions through a computer screen. These require hands-on treatment by professionals.
The Problems with Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder Through Telehealth
There are many pros and cons to doing all psychiatric visits for DID online.
One pro is that people who live in areas that are psychiatrically underserved can now reach physicians and therapists from long distances.
A con for serving psychiatric care virtually is that DID is extremely complex and, at least at first, may need intensive in-person visits. It is difficult enough to treat DID already and the therapist needs to see their client’s reactions to the subject they are working on.
Also, it is extremely difficult to make the proper and necessary attachment to a therapist if they are only seen through a computer screen.
Will Telehealth Stay?
More and more people are turning to telehealth as a way to meet with their providers without having to leave home. Not only are clients, doctors, and therapists finding it convenient, but they have extreme satisfaction with the service.
In a survey taken in 2021 by McKinsey Consumer Health Insights, it found that 55% of patients questioned reported being more satisfied with virtual care visits than with seeing their clinician in-person.
There will need to be more advancements in electronics in general and refinements in telehealth practices but there is a firm belief by many experts that telehealth is not a passing fad but a form of treatment that is here to stay.
Ending Our Time Together
Telehealth has become a great tool for my healing. When COVID hit, I was still seeing my therapist and psychiatrist in their offices. However, I was soon told we were to meet virtually for safety.
I have enjoyed not needing to find a ride and not needing to leave home to receive therapy services.
However, a word from someone who knows. Meeting in-person with a therapist is a whole different ball game from meeting them virtually. Most therapist rely on your body language to tell them how you are doing. People who are just beginning their treatment for dissociative identity disorder may need to consider seeing their therapist in-person at least for a few years.
Overall, telehealth has been a life-chain for me from my therapist and psychiatrist.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela