Exploring Telehealth Integration
March 17th, 2020
There’s no better time than now to explore the world of telehealth. As the COVID-19 (coronavirus 2019) pandemic continues on, and more serious precautions are being made, we at Insight Wellness Center, also are doing our part to prevent any further spread. We are doing so by transitioning a majority of our in-person sessions to online therapy sessions via our telehealth platform, so clients can continue with sessions while safely at home.
I’m sure you’re asking yourself: “What is telehealth?”
California law defines telehealth as:
The mode of delivering health care services and public health via information and communication technologies to facilitate the diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, and self-management of a patient's health care while the patient is at the originating site and the health care provider is at a distant site.
Simply said, telehealth utilizes telecommunication technologies to enhance healthcare. This can also be described as online therapy. Telehealth services can come in many forms, but here at Insight Wellness Center, we provide online therapy in the forms of videoconferencing (live video) and telephone sessions.
Understandably so, online therapy comes with both pros and cons. In situations like the current COVID-19 one, the pros seem to obviously outweigh the cons. For people who are already regular therapy users, the ability to transition to online videoconferencing is a great opportunity. Online therapy also allows you to overcome practical issues when it comes to accessibility. Not only can you continue with your regular sessions, but you can do so without leaving your house or changing out of your pajamas!
Just like I mentioned, telehealth does have some limitations. Online therapy only works if you’re able to be online, if you can’t be online then– you guessed it—you can’t attend therapy remotely. For some of us, the greatest obstacle in committing to telehealth services like online therapy is getting connected! Not all of us are tech-savvy, and getting connected can be difficult, that’s understandable. At Insight Wellness Center, we’re sure to do our best to make the connection process as easy as possible for you.
With the goal of therapy being your overall wellbeing, online therapy is a great option for the different needs of different clientele. Ultimately, how you choose to attend therapy is entirely your choice, online therapy is just one of those choices, among many. Online therapy is a standard form of therapy just like psychotherapy or behavior therapy, where client and clinician work together to reach the client’s goal. Telehealth services like online therapy or videoconferencing and telephone therapy sessions prove to be impressively utile for a multitude of reasons with varying situations.
But as you know, I’m generally referencing the situation at hand concerning COVID-19. With the majority of populations self-quarantining and practicing social distancing, telehealth services provide us with ways to continue our therapy routines. This way we may maintain normalcy in a state of uncertainty.
Lauren Tortolero, MSc
Psychotherapy Intern
For more information or to set up online videoconferencing, call us at (925) 216-3510.
Or visit our website https://www.insightforwellness.com/video-conferencing
References
About Telehealth. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cchpca.org/about/about-telehealth