COVID-19 forced psychiatric care online, and patients want it to stay The modality has proven popular with many patients, but policy and reimbursement uncertainties remain as challenges.
, Associate Editor
A year ago, trying to find patients who would agree to see their University of Michigan mental health provider through a video screen felt like pulling teeth. Only 26 video visits with a few early adopters had happened in nearly six months, compared with more than 30,000 in-person visits.
But Dr. Jennifer Severe, one of the three psychiatrists who helped launch a test of telehealth initiatives in U-M s outpatient psychiatry clinic, wasn t about to give up. She prepared to give a talk at the beginning of April of 2020, hoping to convince more of her colleagues to give telepsychiatry a try now that a major insurance company was paying for it. She even had examples of how clinic staff had rescued the care of patients who had called at the last minute to cancel an a
A new study suggests that more than half of people receiving mental health care will want to keep getting care virtually after the pandemic subsides.
One year ago, only 26 video visits with University of Michigan mental health providers had happened in nearly six months, compared with more than 30,000 in-person visits.
But Jennifer Severe, one of the three psychiatrists who helped launch a test of telehealth initiatives in the outpatient psychiatry clinic, wasn’t about to give up.
She prepared to give a talk at the beginning of April of 2020, hoping to convince more of her colleagues to give telepsychiatry a try, now that a major insurance company was paying for it. She even had examples of how clinic staff had “rescued” the care of patients who had called at the last minute to cancel an appointment for their depression or bipolar disorder but agreed to a video therapy session instead.
Study: Many patients want virtual mental health care even after the pandemic subsides
A year ago, trying to find patients who would agree to see their University of Michigan mental health provider through a video screen felt like pulling teeth.
Only 26 video visits with a few early-adopters had happened in nearly six months, compared with more than 30,000 in-person visits.
But Jennifer Severe, M.D., one of the three psychiatrists who helped launch a test of telehealth initiatives in the U-M s outpatient psychiatry clinic, wasn t about to give up.
She prepared to give a talk at the beginning of April of 2020, hoping to convince more of her colleagues to give telepsychiatry a try, now that a major insurance company was paying for it. She even had examples of how clinic staff had rescued the care of patients who had called at the last minute to cancel an appointment for their depression or bipolar disorder, but agreed to a video therapy session instead.