Telehealth Psychology: Effective and Safe?
Is Telehealth Psychology confidential? Will my personal information be kept private and secure? Is Telehealth Psychology for everyone and is it as effective as traditional therapy? This blog will answer all these common questions regarding Video Telehealth Psychology, also known as Online Therapy, or Video Therapy. Telehealth Psychology has been used for more than 20 years (using modes like phone, email or video) and is the mode most used for military personnel who are o/seas or in remote locations. This method initially became popular to bridge the gap for clients who are unable (living remote or in a place without services) to attend traditional face to face therapy. In recent times, Telehealth Psychology using video has been used more and more since the Covid19 pandemic for convenience, flexibility and accessibility to expertise worldwide minus the risk of contamination.
The move toward this type of therapy has seen a rise in secure encrypted platforms for Psychologists and clients to meet privately online ‘Coviu’ is a video platform trusted by health professionals Australia Wide. As for storing private information, all Psychologists are required under the Australian Psychological Society (APS) ‘Ethical Guidelines on Record Keeping’ to store medical records safely and securely regardless of whether they practice online or face to face. The most common practice management software utilised by Psychologists are also used by medical and other health specialists equipped with data protection bound by the relevant Privacy Act.
Psychology online may not be for everyone, it all comes down to personal preference. It is not recommended for patients who are at a high risk of suicide or who are homicidal for obvious reasons, however those with lower risk levels can benefit from attending therapy online. The same information is gathered by all Psychologists i.e., client’s referrer i.e., GP or Psychiatrist, next of kin or trusted person and the same procedures apply regardless of therapy mode. For example, if risk levels increase for the client the same procedures apply to keep the client safe. In fact, Telehealth Psychologists may be more available to clients as appointments can be easily booked online and because barely any travel or planning is necessary, can sometimes be accommodated for sooner.
Psychology is a science-based profession where therapeutic approaches are based on scientific evidence. Therefore, it makes sense that modes of therapy needs to be empirically supported also. Coronavirus restrictions has fast-tracked this research and now with recent encouraging and positive findings being reported, Video counselling will likely be here to stay. Medicare any private health insurers are promoting the use of Telehealth Psychology to support Mental Health due to our current society and because of the substantial benefits being reported (see below). Interestingly, studies into the benefits of online vs face to face therapy have identified one factor consistently making the most difference in therapeutic outcomes for both modalities. This factor was the strength of the relationship between therapist and client or the ‘therapeutic relationship’, the higher this relationship was rated in trust and acceptance correlated positively with better mental health outcomes and maintenance of improved wellbeing.
To recap, there are no differences in the safety and security of either mode of therapy providing the Psychologist is practicing within the relevant ethical guidelines. The main ingredient to improve therapy outcomes is the strength of the therapeutic relationship so ‘shop around’ if you don’t feel comfortable. It all comes down to personal preference on which mode is used. Telehealth Psychology is a growing industry in our busy society and is proving to be a more accessible, convenient way of connecting with a professional. It offers continuity of support regardless of either party travelling or relocating, further strengthening the relationship and thus improving outcomes.
https://www.kindmindonline.com.au/contact
Current Research Papers
● Snoswell, C. L., Chelberg, G., De Guzman, K. R., Haydon, H. H., Thomas, E. E., Caffery, L. J., & Smith, A. C. (2021). The clinical effectiveness of telehealth: A systematic review of meta-analyses from 2010 to 2019. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 1357633X2110229.
● Thomas, N., McDonald, C., de Boer, K., Brand, R. M., Nedeljkovic, M., & Seabrook, L. (2021). Review of the current empirical literature on using videoconferencing to deliver individual psychotherapies to adults with mental health problems. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.
● Hodge, M. A., Sutherland, R., Jeng, K., Bale, G., Batta, P., Cambridge, A., Detheridge, J., Drevensek, S., Edwards, L., Everett, M., Ganesalingam, K., Geier, P., Kass, C., Mathieson, S., McCabe, M., Micallef, K., Molomby, K., Ong, N., Pfeiffer, S., ... Silove, N. (2019). Agreement between telehealth and face-to-face assessment of intellectual ability in children with specific learning disorder. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 25(7), 431–437.