Every day patients are transitioning back home from hospitals. Often, they are not able to do all that they once were able to do. This not only is distressing for the patient but also for the family. Medical social workers who provide home health services get an insider’s view of what life is like for the patient and their family. This allows them to be more effective and accessible.
Many patients have barriers to the treatment they are needing. Such as transportation to appointments, timely appointments, meetings with the whole care team, and family meetings. The use of technology has allowed patients to overcome these barriers
Iris Turtz, LMSW, has over 28 years of experience as a licensed social worker. For several years she has assisted people with disabilities, has worked as a medical social worker, and worked in home health services. In this interview, Iris shares how serving clients directly in their home environments and using technology has greatly benefited her clients.
The Thoughtful Counselor’s recent podcast features an interview with Raymond Barrett, founder of the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC. The Thoughtful Counselor is a podcast that is dedicated to producing great conversations around current topics in counseling and psychotherapy.
During this interview, Ray shares what lead him to the counseling profession and develop the Telehealth Certification Institute. Ray also shares the key points of ethically and legally providing telebehavioral health services.
Telehealth services and their availability are expanding rapidly and the state of New York is prepared. Numerous avenues exist for those seeking services and providers are in place as well.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS published their final rule for 2018 stating the changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule(PFS) and other Medicare Part B payment policies.
Click here to see the final rule.
Here is a summary of the important updates for behavioral health providers. However, DO NOT consider this as guidance for your Medicare billing. We advise that you consult directly with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for guidance and to ensure the accuracy of your billing practices.
Telehealth is a constantly evolving mode of healthcare and there are numerous aspects of the field in need of clarification so that statutes, policies and practices follow the same guidelines. Telehealth is not a type of health care, rather it is the manner in which care is given. And as the standards for that care become more defined and the use of this mode more prevalent, so will the need for caregivers who are adequately trained and licensed to deliver telehealth.
In 2016, the State of Florida created the Telehealth Advisory Council in order to survey, research and recommend changes to telehealth in order to better serve those living in the state. The increase in both access and use of telehealth will also require an increase in health care practitioners offering telehealth services.
Vendor Management and Video Chatting Clients
HIPAA compliance for telebehavioral health professionals is essential to running your business in the digital age.
According to HIPAA regulation, telebehavioral health professionals must be fully HIPAA compliant in order to avoid serious violations and government fines.
BA and Vendor Management
One of the most common mistakes health care professionals can make is improper vendor management. The HIPAA rules here affect telebehavioral health professionals in particular because of the electronic and digital mediums by which care is given.
Telebehavioral health services for those with eating disorders not only overcomes barriers to access but allows clients to receive treatment in their own environments and provides continuity of care.
Often the treatment of ADHD is fragmented and difficult to track, not only for parents and caregivers but for the person with ADHD as well. I was very impressed and inspired by Esteem Therapeutics. This new and emerging technology, known as digital therapeutics, empowers both the person with ADHD and their entire care team, with the tools to be very effective in combatting ADHD.
Great tools such as Esteem Therapeutics can only be effective if they are utilized. Esteem Therapeutics is a very well-designed platform that is easy to use and understand. The user quickly experiences how engaging and effective it is. I expect clients will really enjoy using it.
We just completed a very engaging telebehavioral health training via webinar. There is nothing like spending a total of 12 hours on video conferencing with other great clinicians while learning how to use video conferencing with clients.
Hear what it is like for an expert counselor, who specializes in working with clients who have been affected by difficult relationships, to provide psychotherapy online.
Dr. Marla Chalnick is a License Professional Counselor and Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC) in North Carolina. She provides counseling via the phone and video conferencing to those with chronic illnesses.
I am excited to announce that the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is now an approved provider for continuing education by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners and the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work.
LCSWs and LMHCs in NY can now earn CE hours while qualifying to become a credentialed telemental health provider.
Collaboration at its best! Two years ago, NASW partnered with ASWB, CSWE, and CSWA. They created the Task Force for Technology Standards in Social Work Practice which produced a thorough set of standards on the use of technology in the practice of social work. In 2016 the task force released a draft to the public for comments. After careful review of the comments received and many other sources of best practices, they released the NASW, ASWB, CSWE, & CSWA Standards for Technology in Social Work Practice.
I am glad to announce that the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is now approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) as a provider of continuing education.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC, #1609, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC maintains responsibility for the program. ASWB Approval Period: 05/02/2018 – 05/02/2021. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits.
One Million Telehealth Visits in 2018! The VA continues to expand its utilization of telehealth. 2018’s numbers are 19% higher than last years.
This number is bound to greatly increase. The new Authority of Health Care Providers to Practice Telehealth rule, published in the Federal Register on October 2nd, 2017, allows for the VA to provide telehealth services directly to veterans’ homes across the country. In addition, the VA launched its new mobile VA Video Connect application, making video sessions easier for veterans. I suspect these recent developments have only begun to show a footprint. Only 105,300 of the million + video visits were conducted using the new mobile application.
I have briefly addressed the topic of Digital Therapeutics in a previous blog entry that focused on ADHD and Esteem Therapeutics.
New to this term? "Digital Therapeutics" is an emerging form of technology in healthcare that combines software programs, devices, and various interventions to generate an umbrella of caregiving that covers all the parties involved in treatment. Technological aspects are used in conjunction with other forms of "traditional" treatment such as therapy or medication. Patients and caregivers collaborate and are kept in sync with updated information that is readily available to all in order to optimize patient outcomes.
Digital therapeutics addresses a wide range of conditions and provides a myriad of high-quality options for personalized patient care. Digital therapeutics forms an independent category of a broader healthcare program and is distinct from diagnostic and telehealth products. Implementing a program will involve a network of therapy options in which each component of care reinforces and supports the other.
In Opinion 19-02, the Office of Inspector General declares its support o allowing drug manufacturers to temporary loan smartphones to low-income patients who are prescribed antipsychotic digital medications. A sensor is embedded in the medication, and once taken, transmits a signal to a patch worn by the patient. The patch records ingestion of medication, rest and activity levels, and uploads the data to a smartphone app via Bluetooth. The patient has the ability to add more detailed information (moods, sleep quality) to the app, and then the app syncs with secure, cloud-based data banks.
Alison Bowles, LMHC shares from her experience as an online counselor treating couples and those struggling with anxiety and depression.
In this interview, Dr. Becky Clark shares how she uses video conferencing to overcome barriers to access for those with hearing loss.