Screen shot of COVID-19 logos
We are six weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic. Six weeks of social distancing. Six weeks of non-stop news, complete with graphics saturated in red that look more like they should be on a poster for a thriller movie instead of news about a health crisis. And although we talked about some of the benefits of the shelter-in-place orders in our last blog, like taking more time together as a family and enjoying a slower-paced lifestyle, some people are really struggling right now. Thankfully, we have had telehealth as an option for our clients during the last month, and it has made a huge difference.
What is Telehealth?
According to the American Telemedicine Association, telehealth is, “the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status.” Although the telehealth experience is different from an in-person appointment, it is extremely beneficial to clients. It helps clients not lose the momentum from their regular sessions and provides a much-needed break from the isolation that many people are experiencing at home.
New Sources of Stress During COVID-19
Many people are experiencing new sources of stress, whether they are trying to navigate working from home, or are suddenly placed in the role of teacher to school-aged children. Others are losing their jobs or have their own businesses shut down by the social distancing measures. People who live on their own are starting to feel truly isolated from the world and struggling with loneliness and lack of human contact. Even in the happiest of families, tensions can arise from being cooped up together for so many weeks at a time with nowhere to get away or have any alone time. People with “essential” jobs are feeling the stress of working throughout this crisis and it is taking a toll on their mental health.
Virtually everyone has been affected in some way by this virus. In an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, Colleen Cira, executive director of the Cira Center for Behavioral Health in Chicago, said that therapists are getting more cases involving suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, especially among health-care and other essential workers.
Unique Benefits of Telehealth
As I have worked with clients in telehealth sessions over the last 6 weeks, I have spoken to people in their car, in their bedrooms, and even in a closet. It has been helpful seeing them in a different environment than my office. I have met their pets; I have seen the posters and artwork on their walls and had a more intimate glimpse into their life. I have had clients who were not comfortable talking and had to pause what they were saying or lower their voice to a whisper because their child was in the next room or their husband was walking past. One client drove to the park and went for a walk in order to have some much-needed privacy for our appointment.
Although some clients have had to find creative ways to get privacy, they have been able to continue to make progress. This is the most important reason for telehealth to continue as long as the shelter-in-place orders are in effect.
All our telehealth sessions are on a special HIPAA compliant platform with encrypted security so that we do not need to worry about patient confidentiality being violated. One of the only downsides to the telehealth model is that some insurance companies have taken a long time to reimburse us for their coverage, with payments taking weeks rather than days.
Many providers, myself included, would like telehealth to be covered after this pandemic has subsided because of the benefits that we have seen so far from this new way of offering much-needed help to people facing a mental health crisis. It is my hope that this is a beneficial side effect of the COVID-19 virus, which will give us the ability to reach people even when they cannot leave their home regardless of the reason.
