Telepsychiatry, a form of telemedicine, is the practice of providing psychiatric care remotely through live and interactive video conferencing. Our behavioral health providers can conveniently offer psychiatric assessments, therapeutic services, medication management, and diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.
Why Use Telepsychiatry
Our telepsychiatry services help healthcare facilities and clinics maintain continuity of care and high clinical standards. Alina’s innovative solutions connect our healthcare partners with remote mental health specialists. By breaking down barriers to psychiatric care, such as distance and availability, overall quality of care improves.
Benefits of Virtual Psychiatry
- Provides better access to mental health treatment
- Allows for faster, more cost-effective treatment
- Addresses the shortage of qualified mental health professionals
- Reduces costs by up 70 percent for providers of psychiatric services
- Enables the expansion of value-based services
- Offers patient convenience
- Reduces staffing costs
- Increases the volume of patients that physicians can reach and treat
- Gives providers flexibility
We Can Reach Out
One of the questions patients ask is: is Alina’s telepsychiatry service applicable and accessible to me? More often than not, the answer is yes. Currently, institutions that offer the service include:
- Private practice
- Hospitals
- Outpatient clinics
- Schools
- Nursing homes
- Military treatment facilities
- Correctional facilities
Whatever telepsychiatry facility is near, Alina can reach out to you and provide quick care through that facility. All over the country, we work hand in hand with:
- Private practices
- Hospitals (both inpatient and ED)
- Outpatient clinics
- Behavioral health providers
- Crisis residential units
- Critical stabilization units
Telepsychiatry allows timely psychiatric care to ERs, as the demand for this care is increasing with one in eight ER patients having mental problems, and with the issues involving shortage of staff skilled to handle this type of patients.
Long distance psychiatric services are also being used in nursing homes. This allows provisions of psychiatric evaluation, care and crisis intervention in those settings.
We offer our services where they are direly needed. We can give you quick assessment and care 24/7 wherever you want to get such service. Because of this, we are able to treat patients in underserved or rural areas by eliminating the need to travel.
Plan ahead, have your relevant records handy, schedule a video appointment, and get your much-needed health evaluation now!
Telepsychiatry Cost
Alina’s distant psychiatric service is targeted to give patients an alternative to more expensive visits to a doctor’s clinic. To give you an idea, you can cut cost by about $70 per visit. That’s about the national average of cost slashes offered by telepsychiatry services.
Besides this, your expense will be greatly reduced with insurance coverage, as we assist you with your health insurance coverage. At present, insurance coverage for telehealth services are incorporated into the Medicare program.
Our staff will explain to you the ins and outs of such coverage, and help you find the best means for getting the highest reimbursement possible.
How Telepsychiatry Helps in Improving Mental Health Care
Undeniably, telepsychiatry has its challenges, but with the current hurdles the industry is facing, it is a fast-growing industry, and here at Alina, we are working hard to fill the gap and believe that we can focus on the advantages to continuously prove that the benefits far outweigh the challenges.
Technology
The use of technology for telepsychiatry is a challenge in some patients, but for those people, we have staff who patiently explain to them how we can proceed with videoconferencing or even with the use of just their phones.
It is important to realize as well that with the available technology, we offer different ways of access, so patients can receive attention and care when they need it the most.
Furthermore, technology is becoming more and more intuitive and easy to use, so we take advantage of that as we go along every step of the way to ensure better telepsychiatry services.
Patient-Doctor Relationship
Developing patient-doctor relationship may be difficult for some to achieve via computer/phone/video.
This is one of the major challenges that we are experiencing, as telepsychiatry services present barriers to good interpersonal communication. Moreover, such limitation also inhibits some patients from providing relevant information.
At Alina, we have not been struggling that much as most of our patients are able to develop great rapport with our specialists through advanced telepsychiatry mediums.
Many have no issues, but for those who have, such as having qualms with revealing personal information, we have laid out a platform that will convince clients to be more cooperative and trusting. For people worried about privacy matters, rest assured that we are HIPAA compliant for such purpose.
In addition, our telepsychiatry staff are fully-trained to handle extremely difficult patients who just need patience and understanding to make them feel comfortable in receiving care and handing out vital personal details.
Receiving Care at Home
Years of telepsychiatry service to mental health patients have taught us some of the things that matter most to these people, and one thing they are vocal about is the convenience and other benefits that receiving care from home brings.
Telepsychiatry saves them from the trouble of having to drive to an office, which is a requirement for face-to-face meetings. You will also save precious time and money that you and your loved ones will otherwise spend for other important matters at home.
Infrequently, we would hear from patients that they like the idea that telepsychiatry is a good way to avoid running into people – especially someone that they know. You would be happy to keep your “secret” always a secret, while you receive the care you so urgently need.
The service will also save you from the horrible waiting time many people are subjected to when they go to a hospital or a clinic. With telepsychiatry services, you get attended to at the time you have conveniently scheduled.
High-level Professional Competency Is a Must
Being exceedingly competent is a must in offering telepsychiatry services, considering they are offered long distance and the practitioner does not have direct access to the patient’s physical data such as psycho-motor, mannerisms, weight, gait, odor, etc.
Alina chooses only competent telepsychiatry therapists – ones who are well-trained and sufficiently-supervised.
These professionals are on-time, always prepared for the session, focused and are equipped with a suitable private room from where to speak to patients.
They Know You Well
Alina specialists are reminded to always keep notes, because patients want those who give care to them to always remember what they have talked about in their previous sessions.
Honest
Honesty is first policy with these professionals as they know that just about everything hangs in the truth of where their health condition is currently at. We understand that you want nothing hidden from you, so you can assess how you may go about with your present life and future.
Clearly cares for you
Telepsychiatry, or the practice of medicine generally, is not just about finding healing for health issues. It is also about showing unconditional positive regard and expressing accurate empathy to a person.
At Alina, we are proud of having in the house a highly-experienced telepsychiatry team that is up to the job and ready to show you that you are the only important agenda.