Health issues do not discriminate, so why should your health care?
Telehealth is changing the game all over the country, improving healthcare for all. Many Americans live with physical and mental disorders that go untreated and undiagnosed due to lack of care. For many people who were previously unable – or unlikely- to seek medical care, telehealth has made it possible. Read more to find out how telehealth serves America, and benefits all.
In this four-part blog series, we will dive into more detail about the following groups of people that benefit from telehealth and telepsychiatry. This month, we will outline how Veterans, Millenials and Teens, and the Incarcerated populations have been under-served, and how telehealth is helping to fix that.
Telehealth Serves Veterans
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very serious, and sometimes, debilitating anxiety disorder. PTSD has only been well-documented since The Vietnam War. However, evidence suggests that veterans from World War II may also have suffered from PTSD. In other words, that is an entire generation of senior veterans that have gone lifetimes with untreated PTSD.
On the other hand, there are many other equally important issues that veterans face including Substance Use Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Hazardous Exposures, Chronic Pain, Depression, etc. The list of veteran-related disorders is complex, and telehealth is here to help.
As a result of the lack of care available for many Veterans, The VA has just implemented their Anywhere to Anywhere program. This program is leading the nation in telehealth care for Veterans. The VA now provides telehealth at more than 900 sites across the country in over 50 areas of specialty care, to veterans who would otherwise not have access.
Please join us next month for our second installment of this blog-series, as we uncover more about America’s Veterans. We we learn how telehealth is assisting in their mental and physical well-beings.
Millennials and Teens: Tech-Savvy Patients
Telehealth is the perfect medical tool for tech-savvy Millennials and Teens. Millennials and Teens are the first generations to grow up during the technology boom, and they are the groups most likely seek medical care via telehealth. A recent survey noted that 40% of Millennials view telehealth as a vital part of modern healthcare. Not only is the technology aspect intriguing, but the idea of immediately accessible healthcare offers huge incentives as well.
1 in 5 teens ages 13-18 have, or will have, a mental health disorder. That percentage is astronomical, considering that it is more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Mental illness is an important issue, especially among teens. Despite this fact, not nearly enough of them have access to behavioral and mental health care. Telehealth provides the chance for therapy and psychiatric care, as well as treatment for a myriad of medical issues. Another example of how telehealth serves America.
Incarcerated and Under-Served
2.3 million Americans are currently incarcerated in prisons and jails. Thanks to telehealth, providers are able to reach a grossly overlooked population of Americans for both physical health and mental health.
26% of those incarcerated in jails have met the threshold for serious psychological distress. In a study held by the CDC, telehealth is used – by an overwhelming percentage – for psychiatric health. Telepsychiatry is helping incarcerated Americans to receive the therapy and assistance to a population that has been previously under-served.
Prisons are, by definition, difficult to get in and out of- especially regarding medical care. Telehealth aids in public safety, as prisoners are not required to leave the prison to receive care. Also, providers are not required to physically enter these facilities to care for their patients. Subsequently, this makes providers more willing to treat inmates, thereby making healthcare available to more inmates. Telehealth is making is easier and safer than ever to serve Americans in the prison system.
Wrapping Up
Please join us over the next four months while we study each population and the impact telehealth has on them. Next month, we will talk specifically about Veterans, the common health issues they face, how telehealth benefits them, and other examples of how telehealth serves America.
Encounter Telehealth is a provider of Telehealth and Telemental Health Services in the United States. We serve over 3,000 patients nationwide. We witness, every day, the impact that telehealth and tele-mental health has on patients all over America.
If you are a facility that may be interested in Encounter Telehealth’s services, please contact us HERE.
If you are a provider that may be interested in joining a fast-growing telehealth company, please contact us HERE.
And if you, or a loved one, is in a facility that may be interested in receiving telehealth care, please contact us HERE.
I think this can and should be made available to all of the categories shown above. In short it is a valuable resource for the patients now and in the future as.the US in general needs to make this a new policy for we have maintained a startling response necessary for troubled teens,veterans who are or will continue to put in harms way by decades of war as a byproduct of failed foreign policy blunders, and people in rest homes with precious little regard to their mental health.As for health care workers their own jobs leave them exposed to scenarios they never envisioned when they were in the hiring process and often burning out or depressed by a everyday workplace, especially in the rural areas of the entire country. It was and is a lot for them to process without proper training without access to such a population explosion as a result of our older citizens outliving this phenomenon.
Respectfully,
Max A Welch
Hello, Max! Telehealth should absolutely be available to everyone, especially the included populations. Veterans, for example, are benefiting now more than ever with the VA’s implementation of telehealth and telepsychiatry services. And Millennials and Teens are at a higher risk than ever for anxiety and depression. Telehealth can reach these populations with ease and comfort. And you are absolutely correct in your observation of health care worker burn-out. Over 1/3 of nursing homes cannot meet behavioral health needs due to under-staffing and burn-out. It is a real crises, and telehealth helps these healthcare workers by bringing the doctor’s office visits to them. It’s a new era in healthcare, and telehealth is leading the way. Thank you for your comment, and please come back next month to see Part II of ‘Telehealth Serves America’. We will be diving into further detail about Veterans and how telehealth is helping them.
I am part of the telehealth movement in psychiatric nursing and find that the thoughts of it’s impact on patients is so much broader and all encompassing. I have just begun my adventure to help the underserved elderly in nursing homes located in rural areas. Our baby boomers are entering their seventies, along with our veterans of the Vietnam era. The technology that we have at our fingertips is allowing us to service the world, not just the city or state in which we reside.
It is most exciting to treat patients who may otherwise go without that help and support for their psychiatric issues and/or disorders.
I am taking this challenge to help the folks who have “fallen between the cracks” as we used to say, in the past. It will improve their quality of life. What more is there when people are living longer – than to assist them to live longer and better!
I am most interested in hearing about the populations played out in your blog because I do believe you have identified those patients who are most vulnerable psychologically and in need of our professional attention.
Great job! Kudos to Encounter Telehealth!
Hi Judith! Thanks for commenting, and thanks for being a part of the ever-expanding telehealth movement. The idea that one provider can serve patients living all over the country (and world) is exciting, isn’t it? It’s a real game-changer in healthcare, and helps to reach under-served patients from all walks of life. We are thrilled that you’ll be joining us for our upcoming series ‘Telehealth Serves America’. Next month, we will be learning more about Veterans and the benefits that telehealth offers them. The following month will be geared toward America’s Millennial and Teen population and the issues they face. And our final installment will be detailing America’s Incarcerated population. We agree that these groups are among the most vulnerable, and we can’t wait to discuss how telehealth helps them. Thank you for the encouragement and we will see you back next month for Part II.
Thank you Amanda for Sharing this article
. I have heard so many people talking about Telehealth . But this article has really enlightened me. I will look forward to this monthly blog and help share this AWSOME way, to a Healthier Life.
Thank you again, for letting SO many people know you are out there , showing us a new way of healthcare . I am very excited about the fact that Everyone can get on board with this…
Hi Cloice! Telehealth is a rapidly growing healthcare resource, and it’s changing lives all across America. We are able to reach patients that were previously under-served, and providers are finding that a career in telehealth is extremely rewarding. The future is now, and telehealth is paving the way for healthcare. Thank you for you interest, and please join us next month for the second installment of ‘Telehealth Serves America’ where we outline the issues that our Veterans face and how telehealth is helping.
What a great way to help people fast and economically!!! This is awesome – get help from the comfort of your own home – doesn’t get any better than that!!!
Hi Debby! Thank you for your comment. Telehealh is helping to reach patients that have previously been unable to access healthcare. We are very excited to be offering this service to thousands of people in facilities all across America. Thanks for reaching out. We hope you will join us for our next blog article in the ‘Telehealth Serves America’ series, where we will be specifically outlining the benefits that telehealth provides for America’s Veterans.
This is a great article and super informative, I wish and hope for more people to get this info. Reading this comes at a great time because I know lots of people in need of this so I will be sharing this with them and others.
Hi Jason! Thanks for commenting and for your support of telehealth. We appreciate you spreading the word about the benefits of telehealth, and how Encounter Telehealth is helping to reach people that have been previously under-served. Please join us in August for our second installment in our series ‘Telehealth Serves America’. We will be reviewing some of the health care concerns that our Veterans face, and how telehealth helps to address and manage those issues.