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.
The Office of Inspector General is recommending that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) more closely review telehealth claims for adherence to requirements and offer education to providers to increase awareness of those requirements.
Learn from our interview of Elizabeth (Liz) Grady, LPC, LPCS, DCC from eSupport, PLLC https://www.esupportcounseling.com/ Liz and her colleagues noticed a need for online counseling and clinical supervision in North Carolina and have worked to fill that need. Liz shares how she prepared for, implemented, and succeeded at providing these important services.
Learn about the benefits of telebehavioral health services for the prison population by listening to our interview with Tracey Simpson, LPC, NCC, MAC.
Learn about the origins of e-prescribing and its parallels with implementing telehealth into health systems by listening to our interview with Lori Metz, LCSW, CCM.
You can learn more about Lori Metz by clicking on her website here.
In order for a social worker to retain their license in NY they must complete 36 hours of continuing education every three years by a CE provider who has been approved by the NY Social Work Board. Only 12 of these hours can consist of self-study activities. Live webinar courses are considered live hours.
The military and VA use telehealth more than any organization I know of. They also have conducted research which shows that it reduces no-show rates and hospital readmissions and provides access to many clients who normally would not have received care.
Both, working with the military and providing telebehavioral health services require specific awareness and skills. Our interview with Mercia Cummings provides you a view of what it is truly like to provide the services.
Getting started in telebehavioral health can seem like a great hurdle. During this interview, Marilyn Garcia, LCSW, shares how she quickly got started and how she is expanding her private practice.
Technological improvements nationwide have meant an increase in telehealth services since patients and providers can communicate in a variety of two-way, real-time methods that provide remote consultation, home monitoring, and counseling, to name just a few.
However, specialized treatment is often elusive in rural areas. In order for states to adequately handle the rapid expansion of telehealth services, significant development of remote connections is necessary when providing access to a variety of specialists in both telemedicine and telemental health.
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.
In this interview with Dr. Douglas Weiss, Ph.D., we discuss the impact that using technology has had with clients, the importance of being appropriately trained when providing treatment for sex addiction, and the way his specialty practice works in conjunction with other counselors who provide care for other conditions such as anxiety or depression.
Steven Levenkron, M.S., one of our alumni, is a ground breaking and well-known psychotherapist specializing in anorexia, self-mutilation, OCD and sexual abuse. He is the author of both fiction and non-fiction books which provide theoretical analyses in his areas of expertise. In a career that began in 1970, Levenkron has provided over sixty-thousand hours (and counting) of therapy, and boasts a 90% recovery rate for his patients.
Ray Barrett of Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC recently sat with Steven Levenkron to discuss his years of experience and the success he has experienced when using technology in his treatment of patients. Levenkron has found that abuse victims are more open when care is provided at a distance. When those clients find themselves alone and in a secure environment and at no physical risk from others, they tend to open more quickly and disclose to the provider - hence, care and treatment begin much faster. For abuse victims, non-verbal communication (such as email) is the most effective for opening up, followed by audio (telephone), and video conferencing. The least effective style of meetings for this clientele is same-location sessions.
When launching a telehealth program or any healthcare service payroll and HR services are often needed. In addition to the standard tasks of human capital management, healthcare organizations have the unique needs of tracking mandatory HIPAA training and the credentialing of clinicians. Finding a trustworthy payroll or HCM company that can handle all the HR needs of a startup or existing organization can be difficult.
The process of billing can be a great hassle for providers, and risky business. Often telehealth providers do not know how to correctly bill for their services and sometimes create legal and ethical issues by billing incorrectly. Debbie Duran the owner of Mental Health Billing & Consulting in Louisiana shares from her 28+ years of experience billing for mental health providers.
Telehealth services help to ensure that patients are able to receive the care they need when they need it. Same day care is available from providers using services such as virtual visits or video visits. By minimizing travel time, extending availability and increasing flexibility, caregivers can offer more opportunities for providing much-needed healthcare services.