Stay-at-home orders worldwide due to COVID-19 have highly disrupted mental health services in 93% of 130 countries, according to a survey by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is a devastating issue because the pandemic itself has caused a large increase in the demand for mental health services. People are affected by policies and the pandemic itself, which is leading to cases of isolation, bereavement, fear, anxiety, and loss of income. Luckily, we live in a digital age, where more of the world has access to digital technologies than ever before, giving us an avenue to help address these issues.
The situation has led to a worldwide push for the use of telehealth solutions to provide medical and professional help to patients. Doctor David Mohr, PhD, Director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Northwestern University comments on research findings to date that, “Telehealth is essentially just as effective as face-to-face psychotherapy—and retention rates are higher”. Psychologists and therapist rely on long sessions where communication is a large part of treatment. Video conferencing through telehealth solutions act to replace these lengthy face-to-face consultations while cutting down travel and wait times, which in themselves can be triggers for anxiety.
Telehealth solutions can in fact be better for patients in many cases since it allows them to receive treatment from a place that provides them more comfort. Telehealth solutions provide a platform to break the barriers of access to mental health services. There is something to be said about the unfortunate situation that being seen at a mental health service provider comes with social stigma in many places. Telehealth services such as telepsychology and teletherapy, allows patients to avoid that situation altogether. Furthermore, many mental health services are seen as a costly luxury, leading low-income individuals to shy away from these services. Prior to the pandemic, a study published in Health Affairs found that the average cost of a telehealth visit in the United States was $79 and for in-office visits it was $146. That is almost a 50% difference in price, pre-pandemic time. This may even be greater now due to more solutions entering the market. Because of this, more patients now can get the help they need, and it allows healthcare professionals to expand their practices to demographics they were not able to before.
Global Telehealth Exchange (GTHE) is a state-of-the-art telehealth solution that encompasses many aspects of the healthcare journey. It is HIPAA-compliant, secure, and provides worldwide access to healthcare. With access to healthcare professionals globally, and the ability to securely share information, patients using GTHE will have no problems getting the help they need from anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, mental health professionals have greater access to other specialties for referrals if the need arises. And, as many specialties require better or quicker communication channels, having easy access to full medical records can help healthcare providers to diagnose and advise treatment options more efficiently. General practitioners and specialists using GTHE can easily make referrals or share documentation when needed.
GTHE offers many benefits to healthcare providers including:
- Instant reimbursement
- Top level data security
- Cross-border treatments
- No additional paperwork, and in most cases eliminates it all together
- Full control over your rates, availability and schedule
- No monthly or annual subscription fee
- No contract commitments
With GTHE, healthcare providers can connect with their patients seamlessly and provide a better remote standard of care. If you want to expand your medical practice without investing in expensive software, visit the GTHE website and sign up now.
