Telebehavioral Health

Mental health disorders are common and are associated with high levels of distress, disability, morbidity, and mortality [1]. However, many people with these disorders do not have access to mental health services. It is often difficult to recruit and retain mental health providers in rural and underserved communities, and this lack of access can sometimes force patients to travel long distances in order to obtain mental health services or to forgo such services altogether. Primary care or other medical providers are often placed in the position of serving patients with severe mental health conditions, with little or no specialty support. These factors reduce the quality of mental health services available to patients in rural and underserved communities. A growing body of literature suggests that the use of live interactive videoconferencing to provide mental health care has the potential to mitigate the workforce shortage, especially in remote and underserved areas [2, 3]. With such an arrangement, a provider at a distant location evaluates and treats a patient at their local clinical site via live interactive videoconferencing. This practice has been referred to by various terms: telebehavioral health, telepsychiatry, telemedicine, e-behavioral health, telemental health, e-care, telehealth, and telecare. Telebehavioral health can also be used for consultations between providers, education of providers and patients, and the integration of science-based treatment practices into routine clinical care. Clinical Applications Telebehavioral health has diagnostic and therapeutic uses across the lifespan. Common applications include diagnostic assessment, prehospitalization assessment, posthospitalization follow-up care, medication management, psychotherapy, and consultation. Telebehavioral…