The Future of Telehealth: An example of necessary change in the culture of care-Slides

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The document titled "The Future of Telehealth: An Example of Necessary Change in the Culture of Care" by Linda Hurley discusses the evolution and impact of telehealth, particularly in the context of behavioral healthcare and opioid use disorder treatment. It highlights the increased acceptance and implementation of telehealth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its previous conflicts with various regulations and lack of strategic planning.<br /><br />The text emphasizes that telehealth has proven to be an efficient, evidence-based care model that has seen a dramatic increase in utilization. It notes that telebehavioral health use rose significantly in rural areas facing access challenges and Medicare mental health visits surged due to severe diagnoses limits. Telehealth facilitated a 556% increase in mental health visits during the early days of the pandemic.<br /><br />The benefits of telehealth are detailed, including improved patient outcomes, greater provider flexibility, enhanced coordination of care, reduced stress, and financial gains through increased utilization and reduced staffing costs. However, the document addresses the hurdles in transitioning to telehealth, such as resistance from third-party payers, misalignments between regulatory policies and practices, and persistent stigma and overregulation in opioid disorder treatment.<br /><br />Survey feedback from both patients and counselors indicate that telehealth offers significant advantages in terms of convenience and frequency of contact, although some challenges like reduced personal interaction persist. The document suggests that these barriers can be mitigated by enhancing technology literacy, redefining confidentiality practices, and creating comprehensive informed consent protocols.<br /><br />The paper concludes by affirming telehealth as a valid modality that's generally well-received by clients, urging a focus on aligning systems and policies to fully leverage its potential for person-centered care in opioid treatment programs. It underscores the importance of ongoing adaptation and feedback in improving telehealth services.

Keywords

telehealth

behavioral healthcare

opioid use disorder

COVID-19 pandemic

telebehavioral health

mental health

patient outcomes

regulatory policies

technology literacy

person-centered care