What is Telehealth? Also referred to as Telepsychiatry, Telepsych, Telemedicine, or Teletherapy.
Telehealth or telepsych is a form of live video conferencing allowing psychiatrists, therapists, and other mental health providers to provide services to clients outside of the office, for example at the client’s home or workplace. This video meeting is done through face-to-face interaction via computer, smartphone, tablet or Chromebook. Telepsych provides the opportunity for consultation with family members, teachers and other providers involved in the client’s care.
Surveyed clients participating in telehealth say they are very satisfied with the care they are receiving and that they feel telehealth is a reliable form of practice. In addition, they find that they are able to keep their appointments on a more regular basis.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry comparing in-office-treatment to treatment via telepsychiatry indicated “There were no statistically significant differences between study groups for symptoms, quality of life, and patient satisfaction… there is a strong hypothesis that videoconference-based treatment obtains the same results as face-to-face therapy and that telepsychiatry is a useful alternative.”
What do Telehealth/Telepsych Require?
The telehealth system that Enki uses makes virtual visits easy and intuitive for clients and providers. Clients can simply click on the link and access the scheduled appointment from their browsers, with no app download or setup required.
For your appointment, you will need to have access to a private place and a computer/tablet/smart phone with a camera and high speed* internet. Enki will provide you with access to a secure HIPAA compliant videoconferencing software free of charge. All you have to do is be on your device and logged on at the time of your appointment.
If you do not have access to a computing device or high-speed internet, you can be scheduled to be seen at a telepsych kiosk at the clinic, or in-person with your provider.
To learn more about getting ready for your telepsych visit, please visit the client support guide.
Is Telepsychiatry & Teletherapy Safe and Secure?
Enki ensures the interaction between you, the client, and your provider is completely secure and HIPAA compliant. The telepsychiatry software encrypts all forms of data, including video and audio.
Benefits
Telehealth provides the client with benefits that may lead to better care. We understand it can be difficult to take time off, find or afford childcare, or take public transit during a pandemic to come to our office. Telehealth offers easier access to care and can lead to less stress, especially when you are scheduled to see your psychiatrist/therapist/provider often.
Our telepsychiatry partner recommends running a speed test before calls to ensure the internet connection is strong enough* to have a video call.
*An Internet connection with at least 1 Mbps download and upload speeds (check your Internet speed here)
NOTE: HIGHLY recommend bandwidth above 10 Mbps to have a better experience.