Doctors pushing to expand access to telemedicine visits for mental health patients
As in-person doctor’s visits return to pre-pandemic levels, some virtual medical visits are not dwindling.
In fact, some research shows mental health patients prefer visiting health care providers from the comforts of their own homes. More than half those visits, 55% nationwide, are remote, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
And doctors want to keep it that way by expanding access to virtual visits. Health care providers plan to discuss a slew of telehealth topics at the third National Telehealth Conference on Tuesday, including cutting-edge technology, best practices and new ways to make remote visits available to more people.
There are several reasons why doctors want to continue using telehealth. The most important: virtual visits are successful.
“Telehealth has really expanded over the last several years,” said Capt. Heather Demeris, director for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. “We have data that show patients who get telehealth services have the same, and in some cases better, outcomes as in person visits.”
Patients are also more likely to log on to mental health visits because they’re convenient. Most telemedicine visits are conducted over cellphones, tablets and video chat lines.
What’s more, the ability to talk with a doctor and bypass an in-person visit also reduces stigma linked to mental health services and increases screenings.
“For patients to get diagnosed with a condition that they may not have realized they’ve had and suddenly get care that improves their lives. It just makes their entire world change,” Demeris told WTOP. “That’s the beauty of having access to care.”
Demeris said expanding virtual visits could cut down lengthy waitlists for urgent appointments.
And the push to increase access could impact patients in rural areas the most, as those communities are scrambling to attract more mental health specialists.
But to expand the service, health care providers will need approval from several of state governments.
Doctors said allowing patients to book virtual appointments with mental health workers across state lines would open up more opportunities for to schedule times with a health care provider. Currently, patients can only visit remotely with a doctor who is physically located in their state as telemedicine meetings that cross state lines are illegal, Demeris said.
“It’s one of the more important things that we’re focusing on,” she said. “When you can go across state lines is incredibly helpful.”
The virtual meeting is open to the public.