Banty Co-Founder and Medical Director, Dr. Richard Tytus, provided the subject matter and direction for this article. The author would like to thank Adam Grant for his editorial assistance in writing the article. Dr. Richard Tytus takes responsibility for the content of the article.
In recent years, large facets of society have been advocating for a greater focus on mental health issues, and increasing the resources available to individuals who are struggling from them.
There are, of course, many ways in which medical professionals can contribute. While in-person consultations have been an effective treatment option for decades, now is the time to further integrate telemedicine solutions into clinics that treat those suffering from mental health issues.
To do this, a clinic must use a trusted virtual medicine solution like Banty Virtual Clinic, and properly promote its benefits to patients. During such an awareness initiative, it is important to compassionately, and thoroughly, explain how telemedicine services can assist patients with mental health issues.
Lessens Anxieties Attached to Attending In-Person Appointments
For some individuals struggling with forms of anxiety and/or depression, leaving home to attend a doctor’s appointment can be challenging for a number of reasons.
If the point of treatment is to help someone manage or overcome their mental health hurdles, we should consider the fact that in-person appointments are not always the best way to go. Sometimes, offering patients online therapy sessions is a treatment strategy capable of bearing more fruit.
Allowing patients to enter an appointment from a computer, smartphone, or tablet – as opposed to making them endure a commute filled with potential triggers – could lead to a calmer, more productive 1:1 session.
Privacy is Maintained
As much as we try to wipe away any stigmas attached to mental health, some individuals will always feel uncomfortable about going to a clinic that’s focus is psychiatry or psychology. Yes, they recognize assistance is needed, but for privacy purposes, certain people don’t want to take the chance of someone they know seeing them seek treatment.
When a patient is able to see a therapist online, they can get the help that’s needed and continue to have their privacy respected.
Banty Virtual Clinic, more specifically, is HIPPA/PHIPA compliant for virtual medicine and uses end-to-end encryption to ensure all patient-doctor interactions remain private and secure. What’s more, Banty does not store any details discussed during said video calls.
Not As Overwhelming of a Process
Apart from triggers that can be experienced on the way to an in-person appointment, is dealing with the process that’s typically required getting to one. Unfortunately, not everyone is equipped to handle such logistics.
Certain individuals with mental health issues could find the experience of scheduling an in-person consultation; figuring out how to get to it; and not knowing how they’ll feel about it the day of, tremendously overwhelming.
By instead making a virtual medicine appointment option available to them, all the patient will have to focus on is logging in for their online visit.
Calls Can Be Made from Anywhere
There will be instances in which a patient’s schedule will not allow them to be home for an online therapy session. Fortunately, an online doctor’s appointment with Banty Virtual Clinic can be conducted from anywhere. This can include an office, a parked car, or even while on a walk.
By being able to conduct video calls in this manner, a person will not have to metaphorically glue themselves to a particular spot to receive the assistance they need. Instead, they can find a place that feels most comfortable to them and make a call from there.
Doctors Can Offer Them Quick, Hassle-free Check-ins
At times, a live video chat online with a doctor needs to happen when a patient experiences a sudden episode, or has an urgent request for assistance.
Through telemedicine solutions, doctors have the ability to (depending on how they’re scheduled) to reach out to a patient at any time of day to walk them through whichever issues might be affecting them.
Since there is no telling when a mental health crisis could arise for a person, giving them the opportunity to speak with a doctor immediately – without having to wait for office hours – could have a sizeable impact on how the situation’s ultimately resolved.
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