Friday, August 1, 2014

Telepsychiatry For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

By Annabelle Holman


In the olden days, treatment for post traumatic stress disorder was quite difficult because of the distance of the therapist and the patient. However, because of technology, it is now possible for patients to receive treatment from video conferencing. This type of treatment is called telepsychiatry for post-traumatic stress disorder and has proven to be quite effective.

Now just to give people an idea of how this method of treatment came into place, it was first used in Nebraska Psychiatric Institute some time in the fifties. After some time, the University of Nebraska did some research on this method and got positive results. Eventually, the Dartmouth Medical School was able to conclude that this method was really good when it comes to building rapport with patients.

In the year 1994, around sixteen programs were already utilizing this method. In 1997, more than twenty five programs were already utilizing it. Nowadays, this method is widely being used and it is still continuing to be used because it is extremely convenient to both the psychiatrist and the patient.

Because of its efficiency and convenience, this method of treating is becoming more and more popular. In fact, a few researchers discovered that the patients who were diagnosed with PSTD and received this kind of treatment had fewer symptoms after a certain period of time. Of course nothing still beats in person treatment however this method has shown to be a great alternative if there may be obstacles to receiving in person treatment.

Most patients diagnosed with PTSD states that using this method is a good option. They state that the doctor can discern the problems and the medications they need amidst the absence of face to face connection. Moreover, they said that it gave them access to psychiatric services without traveling three hundred kilometers at least once a month.

Now another very important thing to know about people with this condition is that they are extremely scared of going to crowded areas. Now if they would be in crowded places or travel long distances, there is a chance that their condition may actually get worse. It is here that video conferencing can be pretty useful because it allows the doctors to give treatment while the patient is at home.

Now another great thing about this type of treatment is that it is actually cheaper to do than in house treatments. Now one thing about video conferences is that there are fewer cancellations that in person treatments because of the convenience of the method. As compared to in person treatments wherein a cancelled session would result in an opportunity cost. In fact, one cost analysis showed that 106,000 dollars will be spent for in person treatment for a hundred patients while it will only cost 94,000 dollars for the video conference.

This is one of the biggest breakthroughs in the world of medicine because of both its efficiency and its convenience. In fact, it is beneficial to both the therapist and the patient. The therapist may now be able to check in his patients that are far away, and the patients do not need to get out of their houses to receive treatment anymore.




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