The popularity of telehealth counseling has increased dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdown restrictions negatively affected the capacity of health professionals to deliver essential healthcare services. To continue to provide comprehensive patient care, many organizations, hospitals, and healthcare professionals had to adopt telemedicine and telehealth services.
The terms telemedicine and telehealth are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have some important differences. Telemedicine involves the use of telecommunications technologies to deliver diagnostic, medical and treatment-related services. It involves professionals using specific telecommunication channels to closely monitor a patient’s progress or conduct diagnostic and psychometric tests without being in the same location. During the pandemic outbreak, telemedicine apps became the most sought-after option for making sure patients received required care remotely.
Telehealth is quite similar to telemedicine, but it involves a wide variety of remote healthcare services. These healthcare services sometimes go beyond the doctor-patient relationship. Telehealth encompasses services provided by nurses, healthcare educators, pharmacists, social workers and frontline workers.
Telehealth involves the use of mobile apps and sites to provide video counseling services, monitor patients and inform them of their health status, hold appointments, order drug refills and provide other services.
Here is a closer look at how the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in telehealth counseling, along with the benefits of this approach and its expected growth in the coming years.
What is telehealth counseling?
Telehealth counseling refers to when healthcare professionals, including psychiatrists and therapists, use telecommunication technologies to provide therapeutic care to patients. Telehealth counseling sessions are very similar to traditional in-person visits. With telehealth counseling, instead of patients coming into the office, they can meet with their counselor in a comfortable place of their choosing using advanced video conferencing software. Telehealth counseling is mainly used to provide the following services:
- Individual counseling
- Child therapy
- Couples therapy
- Family therapy
- Healthcare for patients from rural areas
- Adolescent consulting
- Trauma-focused treatment, excluding EMDR
The surge in telehealth counseling after the COVID-19 pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic caused a major and unexpected shift in telehealth counseling. This resulted in a significant change in the way mental health services are offered. The need for social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19 required healthcare organizations to create and implement strategies that allow them to continue providing care to their patients. These strategies aim to provide continuity of care while ensuring the privacy and safety of patients and care providers.
This was necessary because the stress, anxiety and fear caused by the pandemic could worsen the symptoms of patients with mental illnesses. The methods employed to reduce the spread of the virus triggered a greater prevalence of mental illnesses worldwide. Healthcare organizations have embraced telehealth counseling as a solution to tackle these challenges by providing therapy and mental health services remotely through electronic technologies such as video and phone conversations.
Telehealth counseling has been an effective approach to offering mental health treatment to diverse groups exhibiting multiple disorders. It also addresses and eliminates the barriers associated with traditional in-person counseling sessions. Telehealth counseling has made it easy for individuals in rural areas or with special needs to easily access care services.
Despite the benefits of telehealth counseling and telemedicine, insurance coverage issues made it difficult to implement these methods in some areas. Before the pandemic, there were several state-level restrictions on telehealth counseling that meant only a few states were able to implement it. Healthcare organizations also experienced other challenges that made it hard to adapt and implement telehealth counseling, such as the costs of developing and deploying telehealth technology and training professionals.
Changes in telehealth regulations and policies
In response to the emergence of COVID-19 in early 2020 and its rapid spread, numerous state and federal government agencies temporarily removed telehealth counseling regulatory obstacles. As a result, telehealth became widely adopted, and several organizations continue to adopt it as the pandemic wanes. In several states in the US, an executive order was issued stipulating that insurance companies must allow in-network providers to deliver covered services through telehealth.
This order removed inter-insurance differences in authorizations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded coverage to counseling sessions conducted via telehealth. The change in telehealth regulations and the implementation of new policies contributed to an increase in the number of facilities offering these services.
There is still much work to be done to encourage more therapists and clients to accept telemedicine therapy and its prospects. Telemental health creates opportunities for individuals who are interested in advancing their counseling professions by increasing access to care.
If you want to pursue a career in telehealth counseling, an MA in counseling and human development or an MS in clinical mental health counseling will help. The Master of Arts in counseling and human development degree from Walsh University can prepare you for in-demand jobs in telehealth. These include positions as a mental health therapist, clinical manager or licensed professional counselor.
Benefits of telehealth counseling
Telehealth counseling has positively impacted how clinical psychologists and therapists provide mental health services. Although it was highly beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns, its benefits continue even as the world resumes normal operations. Research continues to prove that telehealth services can be as effective as in-person treatments.
Here is a look at some of the major benefits of telehealth counseling.
Ease of access
One major advantage of telehealth counseling is that it makes it easy for all clients to access mental health services. Before the adoption of telehealth, some individuals could not attend in-person counseling sessions due to disability, location, lack of transportation, privacy concerns, and other reasons. Telehealth counseling has eliminated these barriers and puts mental health services within reach of individuals who live in rural or remote areas where counselors may be scarce.
With telehealth, therapy is not a luxury reserved for individuals who live close to healthcare facilities or have access to a vehicle. For example, seniors using wheelchairs do not have to worry about reaching and navigating a hospital or facility. The increased accessibility telehealth counseling offers enables people with different circumstances to receive the assistance they need without sacrificing quality of care.
Reduces stigma and helps maintain patient privacy
There is a lot of stigma associated with mental health in society. In fact, the stigma associated with mental illness has been identified by former US Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher as a major challenge faced by people seeking treatment. Individuals, especially teens, are hesitant to attend in-person counseling sessions as they fear running into people they know.
Telehealth counseling addresses this issue and reduces the anxiety individuals feel about seeking in-person counseling. It also eliminates the potential feeling of embarrassment associated with running into someone you know in an in-person counseling waiting room.
Telehealth counseling has encouraged individuals to get therapy and mental healthcare services. When taking part in teletherapy from the comfort of their homes, patients frequently find it easier to open up and discuss their thoughts and emotions. The comfort brought by teletherapy can result in more effective therapy sessions, which can improve the patient’s overall outcomes.
Continuity and consistency
To achieve desirable results from therapy and counseling, consistency is essential. Sometimes patients, especially teens, feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment during in-person counseling sessions. Many do not return after their first appointment as a result.
There are several factors that affect consistency with in-person counseling, including:
- Working late
- Bad weather
- Childcare
- Illness
These factors often lead to missed appointments. When individuals attend their appointments virtually, these factors are less likely to impact their counseling sessions. An inconsistent therapy routine can worsen patients’ symptoms, and telehealth counseling ensures that providers can continually and consistently offer mental healthcare services to their patients. This consistency can be maintained even if a client relocates to another state or city. Instead of starting anew with a new doctor, a patient can continue to see the doctor they have established trust with and are comfortable with.
Reduces wait time
In the US, individuals may wait several days or weeks after making an appointment to see a mental health professional. This wait can be discouraging to clients who need to speak with someone urgently or who have finally gathered the courage to seek professional help. Some end up canceling their appointments, or they may end up in dire situations.
The waiting area at any facility can be a source of stress for individuals suffering from anxiety or other mental illnesses. Increased stimuli, such as social interactions and a new setting, could worsen anxiety symptoms. Telehealth counseling eliminates many of the barriers that contribute to extended wait times to see physicians. You no longer need to select a practitioner within a reasonable driving distance or sign up for a waiting list. Individuals can simply choose to work with the best practitioners that offer the type of telehealth counseling they need.
Final thoughts
Telehealth counseling has certainly come a long way since the pandemic hit. Not only have telehealth counseling treatments proven successful, but countless individuals are satisfied with the service. Some consider it a cost-effective and convenient means of receiving the healthcare services they need. There is no doubt that much more work needs to be done before all clients and therapists fully embrace and explore the potential of online therapy. However, tele mental health offers opportunities for counselors who are interested in advancing their career by increasing access to care. Telehealth counseling offers numerous benefits and is expected to continue to advance.
