The Covid-19 pandemic has been noticeable for the widespread shift towards telemedicine across the healthcare sector.  The general perception towards the technology from clinicians and patients alike has been positive, suggesting the transition may be a permanent one even when physical visits are an option again.

The latest evidence to support such a notion comes from a study from the West Virginia School of Medicine, which suggests that the delivery of therapy over video link has been successful enough to endure.

The authors highlight how telepsychiatry is a feasible solution for both individual and group consultations.  The paper reveals that virtual therapy grew from a minority offering provided to rural clinics only before the pandemic to something offered to 98% of patients during the pandemic.

Emotional connections

What’s more, these results were achieved despite West Virginia having among the lowest rate of broadband access in the country, with just 10% of people having connection issues.

“Over time, people became very creative in making the connectivity work,” the researchers say. “For instance, several patients didn’t have broadband access in their home, but many had access to a smartphone. It’s just that not everybody had service. People used public Wi-Fi options in restaurant parking lots to conduct their visits. While this does not mean that access to quality broadband services is not a priority, it does speak to people’s resilience and need for access.”

What’s more, the virtual nature of the conversations didn’t seem to inhibit conversations in any way.  If anything, the researchers suggest that people felt more comfortable, partly because they were in their own home, partly because the screen provided a sufficient distance to encourage greater disclosure.

As with so much, the plan had always been to expand the telehealth options, but the pandemic accelerated those plans considerably, such that what would have taken perhaps 10 years was instead done in weeks.

Overcoming barriers

Of course, the project was not without various barriers, not least of which was the unfamiliarity among patients and therapists with the concept and the technology.  Insurers were also hesitant in accepting virtual therapy for reimbursement.  There were also concerns about regulations and legislation.

“As a physician, for instance, you’re licensed to practice in a particular state,” the author explains. “I’m licensed to practice medicine in West Virginia. Pre-pandemic, that meant that in order to treat somebody who was in a state that doesn’t participate in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact–for example, Ohio–I would have to have an Ohio license, or there would have to be an arrangement made between our two states that would allow me to do that. You can imagine the difficulty that would have presented when it comes to treating patients across state lines.”

As in so many other walks of life, the pandemic swept many of these barriers away, and telepsychiatry has flourished across the country.  This success has been especially important given the rise in cases driven by the pandemic, with our mental health taking a considerable battering over the past year.