Tele-Psychology and Tele-Health
"Any therapy delivered by telecommunication tools or devices"
-American Psychological Association (APA)
-American Psychological Association (APA)
What is Tele-psychology? |
Is Tele-psychology private and secure? |
The practice has been in place for over 20 years at the Department of Veterans Affairs and other government organizations that serve patients in rural areas. However, over the last decade, more psychologists have begun offering “Tele-practice” also often referred to as “Tele-psychology” or the newer term, “Tele-mental health” and the older, more generic “Telehealth”. The terms refer to providing psychological services remotely, via telephone or videoconferencing.
Tele-psychology is defined by Plans as a method of delivering behavioral health services using interactive telecommunications when the member and the behavioral health provider are not in the same physical location. Telecommunications MUST be the combination of audio and live, interactive video. Under California law, "Tele-health" or "Tele-psychology" is the delivery of health care services using information and communication technologies to Consult, Diagnose, Treat, or Educate a patient while the patient is at an “originating site” and the health care provider is at a “distant site.” |
Yes, but only when it is conducted using an encrypted platform that was designed for this purpose. Consumer apps like Facetime and Skype are not secure enough for video visits.
Is the quality of care the same as an in-person visit?The quality of Tele-psychology as a method of healthcare delivery is confirmed by decades of research and demonstrations. Tele-psychology has been found to be a safe, cost-effective, and convenient way to provide healthcare services.
Is Tele-psychology technology difficult to use?Tele-psychology software is designed to be as easy to use as any other familiar modern applications. Of course, this depends on the specific application, but in general, patients and providers with a basic familiarity with online apps should be able to quickly figure out how to use a Tele-psychology application.
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