What Is Telemental Health: Benefits, Privacy and Pitfalls – Health Tech Magazine
The use of telehealth for mental health services skyrocketed during the pandemic, and that level is expected to remain above other specialties.
By Erin Laviola
Use of telemental health services expanded quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and all signs indicate this trend is here to stay. More than half of patients (57 percent) say they prefer using telehealth for regular mental health visits, according to a recent J.D. Power survey. A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation also found that more than one-third of outpatient care visits for mental health and substance use disorders are conducted via telehealth.
Increased patient demand for mental telehealth services, as well as permanent policy changes allowing reimbursements for telemental and telebehavioral healthcare, mean providers are highly incentivized to implement the technologies and security measures needed to deliver optimal telemental care.