Mental health providers explore advances in telemedicine

As people become more and more attached to their mobile device, patients are commonly connecting with physicians through telemedicine channels.

These programs allow doctors and patients to chat remotely, help doctors keep an eye on real-time vital signs, even when a patient isn’t in the office or hospital, and can help new patients find the right physician.

According to Forbes, some mental health providers are also jumping on board, including MDLive, Teladoc and American Well. The companies would help patients find psychologists and psychiatrists through mobile phone, table and computer applications.

For example, Walgreens signed a deal with MDLive to allow its customers to access the mental telemedicine products that company offers, according to Forbes. And Teladoc has 10,000 mental health subscribers.

The push for technology-based mental health treatment is present in the public sector, too. According to Politico, HHS has awarded $9 million in grants for primary care facilities in rural counties in Oklahoma, Colorado and Pennsylvania to offer addiction telemedicine treatment for the growing opioid addiction epidemic.

The program is called Project ECHO. It started in New Mexico as a way to surveil and combat Hepatitis C. The money will be used to train rural doctors in anti-opioid addiction treatment using telemedicine.