More Than Video Calls: Features for Telehealth Mental Health

Posted in Healthcare Integration

The rise of telehealth has revolutionized how we access telehealth mental health services. While video calls have become a staple, a wealth of additional features can enhance the telehealth experience and improve patient outcomes. From secure messaging platforms to AI-powered symptom tracking, the top telehealth trends show it is evolving beyond traditional video consultation.

By leveraging these advanced features, mental health providers can offer more personalized, comprehensive, and accessible care to their patients, regardless of location. Join us as we delve into the cutting-edge capabilities that redefine the future of telehealth implementation in the mental health domain.

Why Telehealth Matters for Mental Wellness

Ever since telehealth has become readily available, we’ve seen more people use this revolutionary technology to get essential treatment for themselves. Mental health treatment is right up there, and telehealth has made it accessible to people everywhere. Here’s why telehealth matters for mental health treatment:

Increased Accessibility and Convenience

Telehealth isn’t restricted by geographical limitations, meaning patients in rural areas or those with limited transportation can now speak with mental health professionals. Most people never get treatment because the inconvenience outweighs the supposed positive outcome. 

However, when combined with flexible scheduling outside traditional working hours and reduced costs, remote mental health treatment becomes exponentially better. People can get essential mental health treatment without worrying about travel costs and hefty session fees. Telehealth also allows therapists to have sessions after regular hours if their patients work during the day. 

Reduced Stigma and Improved Engagement

One of the main reasons why many people don’t seek help with mental health is the idea that if someone knows there is ‘something wrong’ with you mentally, you are inept and need special care. Additionally, a therapist’s office is unfamiliar territory, making it difficult to open up about deeply personal issues. 

Remote mental health appointments eliminate many of these issues for patients. People can have their session at home, in their bedroom, or anywhere they feel comfortable. They also do not have to visit their therapist in person, prompting them to regularly attend appointments and consistently get treatment. 

Features of Telehealth Mental Health Platforms

We’ve explained what telehealth mental health counseling is and what it does for its patients. This section expands on the features of telehealth mental health platforms that make this convenient treatment possible. The main features of telehealth platforms for mental health include:

Secure Video Conferencing

Patient data security and privacy are essential; there is no room for leaks or system compromises. The best telehealth services for mental health are HIPAA-compliant, with user privacy during therapy sessions, encrypted video calls, and telehealth guidelines for mental health. 

Patients feel comfortable trusting the platform with very personal and sensitive information. Trust is essential for patients to open up about their mental health struggles, and the right platform makes that a reality. 

Interactive Tools and Resources

Offering journaling prompts, mood trackers, or mental health educational materials on the platform helps patients take control of their treatment. Relying solely on the therapist to steer the cognition in the right direction won’t do much unless the patient makes an effort.

Using different interactive tools helps the therapist give the patient control for an improved sense of ownership. Patients who are actively involved in their treatment are more likely to show improvement than those who have their therapist walk them through everything. 

Messaging and Communication Features

Telehealth platforms could allow secure private messaging for therapists and patients to speak with each other during their sessions regarding their telehealth mental health prescription. The patient could discuss a new treatment or medication regimen to see if it’s working or if they’re confused about what to do next.

Mental health patients have to fight battles with their minds, making it very tricky to deal with everyday life. Having a way to speak with your therapist can help calm their nerves and help with their recovery. 

Tailored Treatment Options

There is no treatment like personalized treatment designed just for you based on your present condition and what you need. Advanced telehealth therapy platforms could incorporate algorithms that analyze your symptoms and connect you to a therapist better suited for you. Working with telehealth for mental health professionals with relevant experience exponentially improves the patient’s chances of starting their mental health recovery. 

Integration with Wearable Devices

Healthcare wearables are powerful tools that patients wear constantly, collecting real-time data. Telehealth allows patients to share data collected (heart rate, blood pressure, activity levels) with healthcare providers. For example, doctors can study a patient’s heart rate in various situations, and if there are irregularities when the patient doesn’t do physically demanding work, an intervention can begin. 

Use Cases for Telehealth Mental Health Platforms

How do telehealth mental health platforms apply all this power in the real world? Here’s how:

Individual Therapy Sessions

The primary and most common use case is one-on-one sessions between a licensed professional and the patient. These sessions are conducted at home, in a safe space, and where the patient is comfortable. There are no external stimulants, and patients are more likely to discuss their issues with the therapist. 

Couples Therapy or Family Counseling

Families and couples can attend virtual therapy sessions remotely to address relationship dynamics, communication issues, and various family challenges. Remote group therapy is incredibly convenient if attendees are in different locations and can’t visit therapists in person. Remote therapy sessions are a game changer for couples therapy and family online mental health counseling where people don’t live within the immediate vicinity of each other. 

Support Groups and Group Therapy

Support groups have long been an excellent place for marginalized individuals, people with substance use disorders, and trauma survivors to meet other people with similar suffering and talk out their problems. Telehealth group therapy helps foster peer support for people yearning for community.

Remote group therapy sessions with telehealth mental health providers can help people from different corners of the globe discuss similar issues with each other, finding solace and comfort in the knowledge that others are going through the same problems as them. 

Medication Management and Check-Ins

With the communication feature in the telehealth mental health platform, doctors can schedule check-ins with their patients to update them on their medication, any dosage adjustments, and potential side effects. Patients are also helped with medication adherence to improve treatment outcomes and expedite their healing.

Treating mental health online is challenging for patients, and adhering to new medication and lifestyle changes can be overwhelming. Having a therapist stay in touch can be comforting and reassuring in an already stressful recovery journey. 

Crisis Intervention and Support

The telehealth mental health platform can also have crisis features where it helps at-risk or in-crisis patients connect with mental health professionals to get treatment. Immediate intervention and support will drastically reduce potential escalations and help the patient feel better.

Getting Started With Telehealth Mental Health

In a post-pandemic world, telehealth has emerged as the most popular replacement for non-invasive medical treatment. The benefits of telehealth for mental health include making healthcare accessible to the masses and eliminating various patient logistical issues. Patients can speak with a doctor, share their reports and scans, and discuss the best treatment. This saves time and effort and ensures that patients receive the care they need when they need it.

A doctor in India can help patients in France from the comfort of their homes using telehealth mental health services. Mental health telehealth treatment benefits from telehealth because it allows patients to speak with their doctors without commuting to the clinic or experiencing more discomfort. If you’re someone looking to talk with a mental health professional, here is where to start:

Finding the Right Platform and Provider

You want to work with platforms specializing in mental health treatment and have considerable experience. The right platform combines form with function, security, and HIPAA compliance to ensure the best possible outcomes. 

It is essential to be clear on insurance coverage, your mental health specialty (depression, anxiety, ADHD, etc.), and your preferred mode of communication. Next, you want to browse through different mental health professionals and find one that is the best fit for you. They should be qualified and experienced and offer telehealth sessions. 

If you’re looking for therapists offering telehealth consultations, look through:

• The  Psychology Today Therapy Directory
• The American Psychiatric Association

Preparing for Your First Telehealth Session

Before starting your first telehealth session, you need to be ready. Here’s how to do that:

• Ensuring you have a stable internet connection, a smart device with a camera and mic, and a quiet place for the session. 
• List essential topics to discuss with your therapist, keeping your therapy goals in mind. 
• Confirm whether your insurance covers mental health treatment or if you need to pay for it out-of-pocket. 
• Confirm with your therapist about platform security since they will be handling sensitive patient information. 

Following these steps helps you confidently begin your telehealth mental health journey. The journey can be long and not without challenges, but simply starting is the first step towards recovery.

How Much Does Telehealth Mental Health Cost?

After dealing with social stigma, the most common hurdle involves the affordability of mental health treatment. The cost of remote mental health depends on different factors, including:

• Platform fees that platforms charge (monthly/annual subscription fee or per session) for access to therapists. These costs can hover between $25 to $300 per month.
• Therapists fees that the therapist sets themselves, similar to how in-person sessions work. These fees hover around  $100 to $200 per session for an in-person session or $50 to $60 for a virtual session. 
• Several insurance companies now cover mental health treatment with varying coverage and co-pays. Check with your insurance provider before using a particular platform or service. 

Getting therapy can be daunting, and this gets worse if it is expensive, often demotivating people from getting it. However, here is how to save money on therapy:

• Compare rates between platforms and therapists and run a cost-benefit analysis to find the right fit for you. Ideally, you want to pay a reasonable sum and get good quality service on the other end.
• Ask your prospective therapist’s office if they offer sliding-scale options, in which therapists offer reduced fees based on patient income. This allows more people to get treatment, even if they earn less than others.
• Make the most of their insurance coverage when using telehealth services. If you pay for insurance every month, using it as much as possible makes sense. 

Considerations and Limitations

For all the beautiful benefits of using telehealth for mental health treatment, the technology is not without its challenges. The main limitations of telehealth mental treatment platforms include:

Importance of Technology and Internet Access

Telehealth requires a camera and microphone to communicate with your therapist, preferably on a mobile phone or laptop. You also need a stable, reliable internet connection to ensure the session is uninterrupted and without hurdles. 

Technological limitations might prevent patients from getting essential care because their internet connection isn’t strong enough or their devices aren’t in the best shape. This is a significant disruption for telehealth therapy sessions and often limits treatment significantly. 

Maintaining Confidentiality and Security

Mental health treatment has patients showing their rawest selves to a therapist so they understand why a person is suffering. This could mean sharing trauma and other personal information that they don’t want anyone else to find out. The ideal HIPAA-compliant telehealth mental health platform ensures patients have a safe and private session space.

For people with mental health challenges, opening up is the most difficult part of the process. It takes a lot of effort to share what goes on in your life with someone, hoping to use that information as context to understand what is causing their current predicament. Patients who know they’re in a safer environment with telehealth mental health are more likely to begin their treatment. 

When In-Person Care Might Be Necessary

Telehealth can only help with non-invasive, non-emergency healthcare situations. Doctors cannot help if their patient has a broken bone or is suffering from cardiac arrest. Patients should visit the ER and get treatment accordingly. 

Future of Telehealth for Behavioral Health

With constantly evolving technology, the future of telehealth for behavioral health is promising. It will become more accessible, be more innovative, and push for positive policy changes around treatment. The future of telehealth for behavioral health includes, but is not limited to:

• Telehealth mental health is becoming more readily available, allowing more people to benefit from it. It requires only a smart device (camera and mic) with a stable internet connection. 
• Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are used for telehealth mental health therapy sessions, which involve exposure therapy and more interactive patient experiences.
• Telehealth mental health treatment is becoming a standard practice for non-invasive, non-emergency procedures, not requiring patients to come if they aren’t suffering from a serious medical condition. 

Consider Folio3 Digital Health for Telehealth Services 

Are you looking to develop telehealth apps for mental health to make mental health treatment more accessible? Do you want to build your telehealth mental health software? Or do you have another idea for helping mental health treatment with technology?

Get in touch with the Folio3 digital health team of designers, developers, and marketers to get started with telehealth app development, developing an EHR for behavioral health, or telehealth services. Every Folio3 digital health product is HIPAA-compliant and uses HL7 and FHIR interoperability standards.

Conclusion

With the relationship between telehealth and mental health gaining momentum, video calls are just the beginning. The features and technologies explored in this blog demonstrate remote care’s immense potential to revolutionize mental health treatment.

By embracing these advanced tools, virtual mental health services offer more personalized, accessible, and effective care to their patients. From secure messaging to AI-powered symptom tracking, the future of telehealth mental health is bright, and the benefits extend far beyond the limitations of traditional in-person consultations. 

As we move forward, healthcare professionals and patients must stay informed about the latest developments in telehealth technology, ensuring everyone can access the care they need when they need it most.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Telehealth in Therapy?

Telehealth mental health in therapy leverages video conferencing, secure instant messaging, and phone conversations to provide therapy sessions from the comfort of one’s home. 

Is Telehealth as Effective as In-Person Therapy?

Yes. Telehealth mental health treatment only uses a different medium; the treatment remains the same. 

What Conditions Cannot Be Treated With Telemedicine?

Physical exams or immediate crisis intervention cannot be treated with telemedicine and require in-person visits. 

Is Telehealth Mental Health Covered by Insurance?

Many insurance companies cover telehealth, but get confirmation from your health insurance about telehealth coverage. 

Is Telehealth Effective for Mental Health?

Yes. Effective mental health treatment depends on the therapist, not the communication medium. Additionally, telehealth is convenient and private and improves access.

What Is the Cost of Developing a Telehealth Mental Health App?

Telehealth mental health application development can range from $40,000 to $250,000. Costs vary depending on features, complexity, in-house or outsourced development, etc.

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