Posted: February 26th, 2023

Wk 4 Dis The Complexities of E-Therapy

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please watch the

Virtual Clinic Links to an external site.

video and review the Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology (2013). Be sure to also read Baker and Bufka (2011), “Preparing for the Telehealth World: Navigating Legal, Regulatory, Reimbursement, and Ethical Issues in an Electronic Age,” Harris and Younggren (2011), “Risk Management in the Digital World,” Luxton et al. (2014), “Best Practices for Remote Psychological Assessment Via Telehealth Technologies,” and Gros et al. (2013), “Delivery of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy via Video Telehealth” articles.

In your initial post, provide an evaluation of the efficacy of using telehealth with mild, moderate, and severe mental health disorders. As part of your evaluation, assess the integration of evidence-based practices into the telehealth trend in psychotherapy. Consider the population, specialty, and treatment preferences you identified in the Week One Creating a Specialist Website interactive assignment, and assess the appropriateness of using telephone, text-based, virtual clinics, and/or video telehealth given your client focus, specialty, and treatment preference(s). Analyze ethical and professional issues you might encounter and explain the risks and benefits of using these delivery methods with your identified treatment population.  

Virtual Clinic – Embedded Content – Films On Demand (infobase.com)

1st Peer

In your initial post, provide an evaluation of the efficacy of using telehealth with mild, moderate, and severe mental health disorders.

While telehealth has recently grown due to the pandemic known as covid-19, which has taken a toll on essential workers. Mental health care workers had to adjust and use video sessions in order to keep helping those who need it. There can be positive and some difficulties when working with telehealth patients who suffer from mental health disorders. Mental health disorders can range from mild, to moderate to severe. Depending on the type of severity of the mental disorder, can benefit still or have a negative effect on the treatment process. After watching the video presented by Arnott (2009), telehealth does provide help as needed and when needed, with mainly mild to moderate mental health disorders such as depression.

The video showed a group of controlled and non-controlled therapy and a major of people were able to reduce the behavior. The key factor however is this only depends on the person and how and what works better for them. 

As part of your evaluation, assess the integration of evidence-based practices into the telehealth trend in psychotherapy.

After reviewing an article by Williamson et al (2022), the rise of telehealth from the world pandemic has seemed to as play a critical role in the continuation of helping others. The article also provides information regarding integrated behavioral health training to the adaption of telehealth technology. It seems that the integration was critically analyzed and properly laid out to ensure the patients have quality care with following proper ethical and law regulations. Sessions that took place via zoomed, were designed to assist each patient with providing secure passwords and providing proper consent forms, and reassurance that the session would be confidential. I think the evidence from Williamson et al (2022) shows that it has brought success in keeping up with patients in need.

 Consider the population, specialty, and treatment preferences you identified in the Week One 
Creating a Specialist Website interactive assignment and assess the appropriateness of using telephone, text-based, virtual clinics, and/or video telehealth given your client’s focus, specialty, and treatment preference(s).

Looking back at my choice for clinical psychology, I believe it will be appropriate to use telehealth via phone and video, apart from clinical visits. Understandably, those with depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders can become shy or nervous about attending in-person clinics. Doing sessions via telehealth with the proper protocols can show benefits. While discussing treatment, a majority of would-be by the patient at home in the first place, so it may not have an impact, however, there are some meditation techniques that would be difficult via telehealth. For instance, the patient could have distractions at home which can disrupt successfully completing the session. It would just take more time to consider the overall benefit of telehealth.

Analyze ethical and professional issues you might encounter and explain the risks and benefits of using these delivery methods with your identified treatment population.

The only ethical consideration that can impact telehealth, is the laws, guidelines, policies, and regulations. For instance, patent confidentiality, privacy, and security are at their highest due to using the internet which can be hacked or manipulated. It is important that the psychologist follow all proper regulations and obtain consent and be clear about what and how telehealth is going to be done. This will provide reassurance for the patient, and follow proper regulations and laws. While treatment population can be done via telehealth due to the area’s mainly Hispanic culture which might difficult due to the lack of knowledge on using technology. This will impact treatment because the patient would not understand how to use it. The psychologist needs to assist if the patient can use telehealth or if the clinic would benefit this would be ethical and follow professional understanding.

References

Arnott, I. (Producer). (2009). 

Virtual clinic
Links to an external site.Links to an external site.

 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://fod.infobase.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=47751&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref

Baker, D. C., & Bufka, L. F. (2011). 

Preparing for the telehealth world: Navigating legal, regulatory, reimbursement, and ethical issues in an electronic links to an external siteLinks to an external site.

. 
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(6), 405-411. doi:10.1037/a0025037

Williamson, M., Jackson, K., Wade, L., Lopez, C., Nanavaty, N., Regan, T., Nouzovsky, A., Roberman, S., Garney, W., & McCord, C. (2022). Training Health Service Psychology Students in an In-Person and Telehealth Integrated Behavioral Health Services Delivery Model in Primary Care. 
Families, Systems & Health, 
40(4). https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000752

In your responses to your peers, consider the evaluation provided by your colleague and explain whether or not he or she provided sufficient information on the appropriate uses of e-therapies with mild, moderate, and severe mental health disorders. Recommend other mental health disorders that might be best treated with this type of therapeutic modality. Suggest other evidence-based practices your peer may not have considered in his or her assessment.

Consider the population your colleague identified and explain whether or not the geographical location of that population would impact his or her ability to deliver e-therapy. Suggest any additional ethical and/or professional issues your colleague might encounter in the delivery of e-therapy with the identified population, as well as any additional risks and/or benefits e-therapies might have.

2nd Peer

In your initial post, provide an evaluation of the efficacy of using telehealth with mild, moderate, and severe mental health disorders.

Telehealth has made it possible for mental health professionals to interact with their clients without being in the same room. Telehealth is not a new process. New technology has caused telehealth to be provided to patients at faster levels of speed and also due to its popularity (Bonyhady, 2023). Many patients have felt that telehealth is as useful as regular care.  The telehealth industry and market size is predicted to surpass $455.3 billion dollars by 2030. (The Worldwide, 2023). Telehealth has been a resource more than 30 years. Telehealth can be defined as the intentional use of communication technology. Whereby professionals in healthcare diagnosis, treat, and prevent diseases. Telehealth also involves the use of research and continuing education of patients, families, and communities. Telehealth is commonly used when the distance between the patient and health provider is an issue (Kappes et al., 2023). Therefore, many patients enjoy the cost savings, and convenience associated with telehealth. Additionally, patients in rural areas often have difficulty seeing a doctor. Telehealth also assists in limiting the length of time it takes to see a healthcare provider. A disadvantage of telehealth might be the healthcare providers inability to provide direct care.

Telehealth services are beneficial as they offer real-time or store-and-forward techniques. Additionally, telehealth uses video-conferencing, audioconferencing, chat messaging, wearable and sensor technologies, virtual reality, robotics, and therapeutic gaming (Lamash et al., 2023) The telehealth industry has made substantial steps in recent years. This includes improvements in the access and quality of pediatric patients’ telehealth platforms. In fact, telehealth is now one of the best healthcare solutions. People deserve quality health care. This healthcare should be provided regardless of the individuals financial resources, health conditions, and geographical locations (“Pediatric Telehealth,” 2022). Differences in health coverage does exist and ranges from, chronic health conditions, mental health, and death (“Remote,” 2022). Providing additional options such as telehealth has now become necessary. Telehealth assists in providing healthcare when, where, and how the patient desires.

 As part of your evaluation, assess the integration of evidence-based practices into the telehealth trend in psychotherapy.

Due to the increased demand for mental healthcare, lengthy waitlists are now part of the process for clients who are looking for care for psychological distress. After COVID 19 pandemic began, the Mental Disorders Professionals estimated that there have been over 27% increase in major depressive disorder cases, furthermore over 25% increase in anxiety disorders (Young et al., 2022). Due to the positive findings regarding telehealth, it appears it will be an aspect of care that will continue (Weissman et al., 2023).

 
Analyze ethical and professional issues you might encounter and explain the risks and benefits of using these delivery methods with your identified treatment population.

96% of psychologists surveyed stated that telehealth is an effective practice therapeutically. Additionally, the number of psychologists who use telehealth grew from 33% in 2020 to 50% in 2021. Furthermore, 43% psychologists stated that they saw an increase in their number of patients (Clay, 2022). Presently, group therapy has seldom been used in telehealth. Therefore the pertinent ethical/legal background requires more research (Whittingham, et al., 2020). Privacy issues related to using video chat or telehealth are still be fully explored.

 
References

Clay, R. A. (2022). Telehealth proves its worth. Monitor on Psychology, 53(1). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-telehealth-worth

Pediatric Telehealth Market Report 2022: Telehealth Shifting Toward Platform-As-A-Service. (2022). M2PressWIRE.

Jessie Pounds, N. & R.-. (2023). Schools rethink age-old concept with telehealth clinics. In AP Regional State Report – North Carolina. Associated Press DBA Press Association.

Kappes, M., Espinoza, P., Jara, V., & Hall, A. (2023). Nurse-led telehealth intervention effectiveness on reducing hypertension: a systematic review. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01170-z

Lamash, L., Little, L., & Hen-Herbst, L. (2023). Telehealth Interventions to Promote Health and Behavior-Related Outcomes in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 53(1), 405–423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05440-2

Nick Bonyhady. (2023). Telehealth to change script for healthcare Telehealth to change script for healthcare. Age, The (Melbourne), 1.

In your responses to your peers, consider the evaluation provided by your colleague and explain whether or not he or she provided sufficient information on the appropriate uses of e-therapies with mild, moderate, and severe mental health disorders. Recommend other mental health disorders that might be best treated with this type of therapeutic modality. Suggest other evidence-based practices your peer may not have considered in his or her assessment.
Consider the population your colleague identified and explain whether or not the geographical location of that population would impact his or her ability to deliver e-therapy. Suggest any additional ethical and/or professional issues your colleague might encounter in the delivery of e-therapy with the identified population, as well as any additional risks and/or benefits e-therapies might have.