Tag: Telepsychiatry Resources

As the healthcare industry evolves, one thing is certain: telehealth is here to stay. In fact, we believe that telepsychiatry is revolutionizing the way healthcare organizations approach behavioral health.

Below we share five ways telepsychiatry is shaping the future of behavioral health and how your organization and patients can benefit.

1. Telepsychiatry equalizes behavioral healthcare access nationwide

Telepsychiatry is far from new. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Iris Telehealth worked with healthcare organizations to leverage telepsychiatry to provide quality behavioral health care.

However, due to federal and state-wide telehealth restrictions, many patients were cut off from quality care due to their geographical location.

In fact, a 2018 Pew Research Center survey found that 25% of rural residents travel approximately 34 minutes to get to the nearest hospital. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) also reports that 150 million people live in mental health professional shortage areas. To make matters worse, many rural hospitals suffer from these shortages, and the AAMC says the country will be short between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers in a few years.

However, after COVID-19 started impacting communities across the country, telehealth restrictions loosened, and suddenly millions of patients had the option to meet with their healthcare providers via a smartphone or another digital device. And, this level of access has continued.

By utilizing telehealth for behavioral health, Patients in both urban and rural locations can use telepsychiatry to access psychiatric services faster and get the care they need. They can also overcome financial constraints to psychiatric care, such as having to miss work or arrange childcare to travel to a psychiatrist’s office.

2. Telehealth increases medication adherence and follow-up visits

Mental health patients are often subject to being labeled with terms, such as “noncompliant,” “difficult,” and “frequent flyer.” But underneath these stigmas lies a stark truth: many of these patients are facing evidence-based barriers that prevent them from continuing their psychiatric care.

These barriers include:

• Socioeconomic obstacles (e.g., poverty, lack of insurance coverage)
• Feelings of guilt and shame
• Misunderstandings around their mental health condition
• Mistrust toward healthcare providers

Comprehensive patient support is vital to eliminating these hurdles. This support includes extensive education, accurate diagnosis, and targeted treatment from compassionate psychiatric providers – including through telehealth.

Through telepsychiatry, healthcare organizations can drive patient engagement while helping patients overcome stigmas, attend follow-up appointments, and strengthen medication adherence.

In fact, according to a recent 2022 Health Care Insights Study conducted by CVS Health, researchers found that over half of consumers say the availability of virtual mental health services would increase their chances of seeking care.

3. Telepsychiatry enhances patient-provider flexibility

For both patients and providers, long wait times are often a significant burden in behavioral healthcare. Telepsychiatry can help solve these issues by decreasing the time it takes for mental health patients to see a psychiatric provider.

Rather than waiting hours for an in-person visit, patients can speak with a telepsychiatry provider in minutes. Telepsychiatry meets patients wherever they are — whether in their home or another remote location. In addition, patients can receive information about their care (from the telepsychiatry provider) via text message or email.

This flexibility delivers greater patient satisfaction and wellbeing —all while lightning staff workflows and allowing healthcare organizations to grow their cost savings.

4. Telepsychiatry boosts collaboration among stakeholders

Innovations like artificial intelligence and telepsychiatry have given new meaning to collaboration. For example, in telepsychiatry, we can use the patient data — obtained from digital forms and other health tools — to guide psychiatric care and communicate more precise, targeted insights to the healthcare team.

We’ve also seen stronger collaboration among legislators in the form of bipartisan telehealth policies designed to address real patient concerns, including mental health care. This leads us to believe that telepsychiatry will continue to add significant value to providers and patients long after the pandemic.

However, there’s still a lot of work to be done. For starters, there are only hints of what telehealth reimbursement will look like going forward. Therefore, it’s important for healthcare organizations to stay on top of federal, state, and FDA developments. This focus will ensure your organization makes well-informed decisions when it comes to psychiatric patient care and support.

5. Telepsychiatry aids in the shift to value-based care

The healthcare industry is increasingly leaning towards value-based care — most notably, population health. This shift means the traditional fee-for-service model is slowly disappearing, thereby motivating healthcare organizations to remove silos and take a more holistic approach to patient care.

It can be challenging to understand all the different aspects of population health, let alone develop cost-effective strategies to implement it. That’s why it’s crucial to partner with vendors that can help your organization achieve sustainable population-health success.

For example, partnering with a technology-neutral provider like Iris Telehealth saves you from having to invest in a special software platform, electronic medical record (EMR), or equipment. By partnering with a technology-neutral vendor, qualified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners will utilize your organization’s existing EMR and equipment.

That means an easier transition to a long-term telepsychiatry program, cost savings, more satisfied staff, and most importantly, better mental and population health outcomes.

The bottom line

Telepsychiatry has become the new normal and will continue to impact the telehealth behavioral health space in big ways. Whether it’s opening up access to quality care or helping EDs meet high patient demand, there’s no doubt that telepsychiatry has created a brighter future for behavioral health care.

People are leaning on telehealth as a tool to help them meet their mental health needs and the data speaks for itself:

• • 93% of providers believe virtual visits increased the chances of patients keeping their appointments
  • 71% of consumers believe virtual mental health services would be more convenient
  • 57% of providers believe access to mental health professionals would be very helpful to their patient population

If you’re looking for highly qualified, compassionate psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, Iris Telehealth can help. Contact us for more information about starting a telepsychiatry program that can improve your organization’s behavioral health outcomes.

Mental health care is inaccessible to many, whether it’s due to transportation barriers, economic opportunity, or obstacles related to race or stigma – getting treatment isn’t always easy.

For healthcare organizations, barriers like these highlight the importance of providing high-quality and accessible care to communities across the country. But, what does genuinely accessible care look like? Truly accessible care meets people where they are, with the right care, at the right time – without concern for location, schedule, or socioeconomic class.

Telepsychiatry meets this demand head-on, creating a bridge between people and the care gaps they encounter when seeking mental health care. Read on to learn more about specific barriers people are facing, how telepsychiatry solves these challenges, and how healthcare organizations can benefit from embracing a truly accessible behavioral health approach.

Addressing language barriers with telepsychiatry

For many patients, deciding to seek mental health treatment is a big decision, and many factors might deter them from getting that help.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) cites several barriers to care for Hispanic and Latino populations in the U.S., including:

• Language barriers
• Lack of culturally tailored services
• Lack of culturally competent mental professionals
• Shortage of bilingual or linguistically trained mental health professionals

The APA also reports that only one in 20 Hispanics with a mental disorder receive mental health services from a specialist. For patients who speak another language, having a provider who understands their culture and language can help them feel less hesitant about seeking care. However, only 6% of mental health providers in the U.S. are Hispanic, and only 5.5% provide services in Spanish.

Thankfully, telepsychiatry can help bridge this gap. At Iris Telehealth, we draw from a large provider pool, and our patients can connect with providers outside of their geographic area who may speak their same language or have experience with their culture. This connection is highly beneficial to individuals who may not have a provider they can connect with locally.

However, if no providers are available, interpreters can also help patients communicate during their visit. Interpreters work for telepsychiatry the same way they would during an in-person visit. It just requires some organizational efforts on the clinical side and reassurance to the patient that the support is available. If the facility doesn’t have an in-person interpreter, they can join the virtual call. Whether a patient connects directly with a provider who speaks their language or works with an interpreter, telepsychiatry breaks down barriers to help them get the care they need and deserve.

Reaching people where they are with telepsychiatry

For people in rural areas, getting the mental health care they need can seem next to impossible. Rural Americans face several barriers, including the expense of taking time away from work, coordinating with their child’s school or daycare schedules, and the lack of mental health providers in their geographic region. And, even if there are providers close by, there’s typically an extensive waiting list to get care.

Along with these barriers, transportation is a real issue for people in these communities. In an American Hospital Association (AHA) report, 3.6 million people cannot access medical care due to a lack of transportation, and figuring out a way to help individuals get to and from their appointments is crucial to their health.

Despite these barriers, telepsychiatry can free up schedules, help with the expense of driving, and make it possible for someone in remote parts of the country to get the psychiatric care they need. Telepsychiatry serves as a creative avenue for support, allowing people to connect to a high-quality, specialty mental health provider from the privacy of their homes and enabling them to maintain their anonymity at a community level.

Telepsychiatry connects patients with specialty care

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tremendously difficult on families. From schools opening and closing to wearing masks to children losing caregivers – families have been through many changes. Through it all, people have been doing their best to find support.

Families, or anyone deciding to get help, may find themselves overwhelmed by the complicated system or the lack of available providers. Many patients will call a long list of providers to find out they’re calling the wrong type of provider once they have a conversation and realize they need a particular specialist, like a child psychiatrist.

Telepsychiatry helps healthcare organizations connect these patients with the right specialty providers. This level of access is incredibly beneficial to patients.

Overcoming technology barriers with telepsychiatry

Technology may be a barrier for some individuals who aren’t comfortable with virtual platforms. However, there are many steps organizations can take to help make technology more accessible to their patients, whatever the comfort level.

Here are a few steps providers can take to help increase patient comfort with technology:

• Establish a rapport and provide education about what the experience will look like
• Let patients know there is a backup plan if the technology fails
• Reassure them that their appointment will not be lost if they’re disconnected
• Remind the patient that they have support so they don’t feel overwhelmed

Taking these steps can help ensure technology doesn’t create a barrier or present itself as a barrier to seeking care.

By partnering with a telepsychiatry vendor that seamlessly integrates into your systems, patients in the community can access providers from across the country at their local clinic, regardless of what personal access they may have at home. Telepsychiatry creates an easy experience that meets people where they are with compassionate providers ready to provide support.

The importance of provider fit for healthcare organizations

With an increased rate of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder in communities across the U.S., increasing accessibility to specialty care has never been more critical. Healthcare organizations understand this need well, whether they’ve experienced barriers around the provider shortage or have had difficulty finding the right telepsychiatry provider.

At Iris, we work hard to understand your organization’s needs and find the right provider match for your population. This job-matching approach helps organizations find a provider who will be with them for the long term and establish a relationship with the same level of engagement as if they were on the ground.  DOWNLOAD PDF

Where Iris Telehealth fits in

Iris Telehealth works with healthcare organizations across the country to bring high-quality, specialty psychiatry services to people who need them most. If you’re a healthcare organization looking to increase access in your community, Iris Telehealth can work with you to seamlessly integrate behavioral health services. Contact us today.

There’s a lot to consider when implementing telepsychiatry into your health system, but first, let’s explore what telepsychiatry really is.

Telepsychiatry delivers psychiatric assessment and care via telecommunications technology, typically video conferencing. This solution equips health systems across the nation with the tools to provide high-quality, accessible, and affordable mental healthcare to their patients. This approach has never been more critical as the demand for mental healthcare in the United States grows.

Telepsychiatry is transforming the way care is delivered. This solution allows hospitals and clinics in rural and underserved areas to recruit excellent providers and improve patient care while reducing and maintaining costs. So, where do healthcare organizations begin? It starts by asking three simple questions.

1. Why telepsychiatry?

Before you begin, determine why you need a telepsychiatry solution. Are you looking to add, maintain or grow psychiatric services? This answer will help you navigate to the right solution. A few things to consider:

• Do you have psychiatrists but need a few more people to help with the patient load?
• Is your health clinic located in a remote area where it’s hard to recruit or retain doctors?

Knowing whether your organization will use telepsychiatry to supplement in-person care or as the main vehicle to care is critical to determining your plan moving forward.

Next, determine which method will work best for your setting.

1. Are you planning to supplement current on-site psychiatric providers with a telepsychiatry provider? If so, you’ll need to determine how their workflows will mirror each other. You will also need to develop best practices for your care team’s communication.

2. Are you planning to exclusively use telepsychiatry in your organization? If so, then your on-site staff will need to be prepared to make small changes to the current workflow in order to integrate the remote provider and ensure your program is successful.

We have seen both approaches work successfully in various settings. Knowing which one you plan to use ahead of time is crucial.

2. What technology will you use to deliver telepsychiatry?

Take an assessment of any existing hardware and software that you can use for your telepsychiatry program. Regardless of your starting point, it doesn’t need to be complicated or require a significant up-front investment. Often, people already have equipment that can be repurposed for telepsychiatry, which often reduces the early fees of getting started. As far as software goes, telepsychiatrists will typically document into your existing EMR and use simple video conferencing platforms, like Skype for Business.

Even if you don’t have much equipment – or any equipment at all – startup fees are typically minimal. All you really need is a laptop with a high-quality camera and microphone, but knowing what you already have, and what you need, helps get the ball rolling.

3. How will you build your telepsychiatry program?

Once you’ve determined the “why” behind investing in telepsychiatry and have taken a scan of existing equipment that will help get you started, it’s time to figure out how you will build out your telepsychiatry program.

Key considerations

• Will you keep your telepsychiatry program in-house?
• Will you work with a telepsychiatry provider vendor?
• Will you partner with a telepsychiatry provider services organization?
• Do you have the know-how, equipment, and people to start a telepsychiatry department on your own?
• Would you like the support, expertise, and assistance of an experienced telepsychiatry provider partner?

Many groups have the resources and infrastructure to start in-house telepsychiatry on their own. For other organizations, that’s simply not a desire, or even a reality. Picking a partner you can trust is essential. After all, they will be working with your patients and your staff. You want a partner that is a leading industry expert with the experience to be a true consultant, working alongside you every step of the way to develop and deliver a custom telepsychiatry solution.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless healthcare organizations across the country deliver high-quality, specialty care to their patients. If you’d like to learn more about how Iris can help implement a telepsychiatry solution at your organization, you can talk to an expert today.

Telepsychiatry has evened the playing field for people in need of mental health help by providing psychiatric services, most often through video conferencing. This allows patients, no matter their location, to receive high-quality psychiatric care. The great thing about telepsych is that conducting an appointment virtually does not impact the quality of care received. There are very few differences between getting psychiatric care virtually and psychiatric care on-site.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S.’s ongoing shortage of psychiatrists, offering telepsychiatry services just isn’t going to be optional anymore. It’s now necessary that organizations and providers be able to treat patients virtually when on-site care isn’t possible.

Fortunately, the nationwide shift to telemedicine early in the pandemic has proven that there’s little to no difference between the quality of virtual psychiatric care and on-site psychiatric care. Telepsychiatry has made psychiatric services more accessible, affordable, and convenient than ever — for patients, providers, and healthcare organizations alike.

For organizations still debating whether to invest in virtual psychiatric care vs. on-site psychiatric care for their long-term care strategies, this piece will address four common questions you may have:

1. Is the length of treatment different for a virtual appointment?

There’s a huge misconception that there’s a difference in the level of care between a virtual psychiatric appointment and an on-site appointment. The truth is, a virtual appointment runs much the same way an on-site appointment does. There’s no difference in the length of treatment, the type of care, or how the provider conducts the appointment.

Just like in an on-site appointment, the patient will be connected directly with their provider (either in a healthcare organization or in their own home) for a private, confidential session. The provider will then conduct an in-depth evaluation and work with the patient towards a diagnosis and treatment plan that is specific to their needs. If patients require medication, a virtual psychiatrist can prescribe that as well — often through your organization’s existing system. Additionally, follow-up care will be set up as needed.

However, while the approach to care can be similar, the biggest advantage of using a telepsychiatry provider is expanding access to quality psychiatric treatment for people in rural and underserved areas.

2. Can a patient’s mental health condition impact the level of care they receive?

In almost all cases, patients can receive care virtually just as they would be on-site. However, sometimes the decision comes down to personal preference and availability. In some rare cases, a virtual appointment would not be ideal for patients who are in mechanical restraints, not willing to consent to receive mental health treatment virtually, or not able to conduct an appointment in a safe, private environment wherever they are located. In these scenarios, on-site treatment (if possible) is recommended.

Other than these few exceptions, a patient’s particular mental health condition does not impact their ability to receive adequate care virtually. At Iris Telehealth, we work with providers to ensure patients are safe, comfortable, and experience the highest level of care possible.

3. Do virtual and on-site psychiatric appointments have the same level of effectiveness for children and adults?

There is no major difference in patient outcomes or patient satisfaction for virtual care vs. on-site care. In a study published by The American Journal of Managed Care, 62.6% of patients and 59% of clinicians cited they did not see a difference in quality in a virtual visit compared to an on-site visit with most patients preferring virtual psychiatric visits. With the onset of the pandemic, adults and children have both been struggling to maintain their mental health while being isolated and dealing with day-to-day life. When an on-site appointment is not feasible, children and adults can seek psychiatric help virtually to get their mental health back on track.

4. What are the top concerns providers have with virtual appointments vs. on-site appointments?

Some providers have to overcome patient concerns around telepsychiatry because they’re worried about being recorded during their sessions. During the session, the provider will never record patients without telling them, and they must ensure they receive patient consent before conducting any appointments. Just like at an on-site appointment, providers will review everything patients need to know before the appointment and ensure they understand how everything will flow.

Providers also have to work through using technology to speak with their patients who may not be tech-savvy. When providers partner with Iris Telehealth or another telehealth vendor, they will be properly trained, educated, and given adequate support to address patient concerns and work through any technology fears patients may have.

Another concern providers have is whether they will have the same connection with their patients virtually as they would on-site. Most providers and patients find this answer to be a resounding yes! According to a study performed by APA, 82 percent of people tried virtual care due to the pandemic, and about half had a positive response to it. Fifty-nine percent say they would use it for a mental health concern in the future — and most patients who take advantage of virtual care report positive experiences and satisfaction.

How Iris Telehealth can help

Whether your organization chooses to implement virtual psychiatric care or on-site care, you can rest assured patients will receive the same level of care and treatment with both options. One is not inherently better than the other. However, telehealth makes mental health help available to more people across the U.S. and breaks down barriers to receiving help.

If you would like more information on how to implement telepsychiatry into your organization — or how it can help you meet the mental health needs of your community — contact us today.

The way we talk about mental health has changed during the pandemic. Over the past year, COVID-19 and the subsequent mental health crisis have helped decrease the stigma around discussing mental health and have increased awareness of the vast need across the country for access to quality care. And, with the emergency telehealth protocols, we’ve seen an improvement in access to care across the country.

However, we also know because of the pandemic, there’s a higher need for care across patient populations, which will likely persist for years to come.

So what does that mean for the future of mental health care?

We need to keep breaking down barriers to high-quality care

Some of the barriers, thankfully, have been eliminated during the COVID-19 emergency protocols:

• Insurance payers are reimbursing for virtual care where they weren’t in the past, which signals an improvement in the types of visits that are covered and what’s considered “mental health care.”
• The philosophy of what is the point of care has been stretched and become more creative so we are providing continuity of care.
• The stigma around mental health care is improving because of our shared challenge and experiences during the pandemic.

Now, we’re starting to see more and more states make their temporary protocols permanent, which will help behavioral health organizations better incorporate telehealth into their long-term strategies and continue to increase access to mental health services.

On top of these policy changes, I hope that, moving forward, more people will see the incredible need for mental health care and hopefully go into the field. Because, one of our biggest, persistent barriers to care is our ongoing psychiatrist shortage.

Embrace hybrid-models of care as the key to future success

Throughout most of the pandemic, folks have relied on virtual resources to help them connect with friends, loved-ones, and co-workers. But, long-term, exclusively virtual contact can still feel isolating for many people.

As things are starting to open back up, many people are longing for those in-person interactions, which is completely understandable. As a result, many healthcare organizations who pivoted quickly towards telehealth when the pandemic started may wonder how best to move forward.

It’s important to note that there won’t be a sudden change back to the way things were. The transition will be very gradual, and will likely result in a hybrid care model where both in-person and virtual appointments are available.

There will certainly be circumstances where providers want to see clients in person. But, over the past year, we’ve learned that telemedicine can be a fantastic option for certain kinds of care — particularly in the behavioral health space.

As people are slowly getting back to the new normal, there are still unknowns. People will have understandable anxieties about exposures, and there will be a subset of patients who will prefer to continue virtual care. So, a combined approach where organizations and providers offer different kinds of care will be important.

Patient challenges and demographics might be different moving forward

The pandemic has uprooted families for well over a year. Across the board, we’ve seen an increased need for caretaking within the home. With school closures, the shift to virtual learning, and parents figuring out how to care for their children while still maintaining their careers, there’s been a substantial impact on families and family life. Now we’re understanding how this long-term trauma is affecting kids, and what the school closures have meant in terms of social and emotional learning for these children.

As schools open back up and we inch ever-closer to “normal,” providers and healthcare organizations on the whole should expect to see an influx of children in need of mental health care, with different challenges than we’re used to.

On an individual level, providers and patients should work to ensure they’re taking care of themselves emotionally

This pandemic has impacted everyone to a degree, and we all can’t help but be affected emotionally and mentally by the past year. There’ve been so many unknowns during this time that it’s just brought emotional wellness into the forefront. That shift has directly improved awareness of mental health needs and decreased any negative stigma that was attached with mental health.

As we look to the future, I hope people will be less hesitant to take care of themselves emotionally and make sure they have the support they need.

However, there are so many resources available now that it can be overwhelming. If you ever have a question about a health or wellness app, ask your healthcare provider what they recommend. One resource that I personally have been recommending is the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has a COVID-19 resource library with recommendations and guidelines for parents and families.

At the organizational level, we should all work to continue improving access and expanding behavioral health care programs

From a healthcare policy and delivery perspective, we’ve seen an increase in depression, anxiety, and substance use behaviors over the past year. But we’ve also had more conversations about the need for treatment as well as the need for access. My hope is we continue in this direction, work to improve access, and continue to think creatively about how to deliver it — whether that be virtual, in-person, or through new, innovative mediums.

It’s important that we pay attention to what our patient populations want and need, and don’t move behavioral health programs and mental health services backwards. Already, more and more states are taking permanent steps to support telehealth and audio-only virtual care. And, patient and provider preferences are here to stay, so continuing with that flexibility will be important for the long term success of your programs.

If you’re hoping to build out a sustainable telepsychiatry program at your organization but don’t know where to start, Iris Telehealth is here to help. Contact us and we’ll help you get all the information you need.

Many Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have never implemented a formal psychiatry program — much less a telepsychiatry program. But as COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the country, you and your team may find yourselves considering how to build a telepsychiatry program that provides safe, accessible psychiatric solutions to your patients.

Starting a program to provide behavioral health services from the ground up can feel overwhelming. But following these guidelines can help you successfully build a telepsychiatry program for your FQHC that meets patient needs and helps you achieve your holistic care goals.

First, Complete an In-Depth Needs Assessment to Determine Whether a Telepsychiatry Program is Right for Your FQHC

Follow this checklist (in order) to evaluate how a telepsychiatry program would fit into your organization and determine what kind of vendor or telepsychiatry program would meet your needs:

1. Audit Your EHR: Start by auditing your Electronic Health Record (EHR) to understand how often your organization addresses psychiatric conditions. Note which behavioral health conditions you’re diagnosing most frequently. Also, evaluate medications prescribed to understand which medications your FQHC prescribes the most.
2. Analyze Psychiatry Referrals: Look at external psychiatric referrals to evaluate how many referrals your primary care physicians are making to external psychiatric facilities — and how long the approximate wait times are for those referrals.
3. Discuss Staff Feedback: Anecdotes and qualitative information will help you understand how your FQHC’s culture would fit into a telepsychiatry program. Consider surveying your counselors, social workers, primary care providers, and patients to identify care gaps and evaluate your stakeholders’ current thoughts on your organization’s psychiatric care.
4. Understand the Scope of Psychiatric Needs: Consider your patient demographics, the language and gender of your patient populations, and the complexity of your cases to inform how you approach a telepsychiatry partnership.
5. Hours and Budget: Understanding the number of hours required and how that compares to your budget will help you shape your telepsychiatry program and the kinds of providers you’ll need to hire. You can also pursue grant funding opportunities if there is a disparity between hours needed and budget.
6. Regulations: Consider regulations in your state and how they might impact telepsychiatry practices, licensing, and prescribing. Regulations might include whether Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) can practice independently in your state or state regulations about caring for acutely suicidal patients.
7. Provider Type: You’ll also need to determine whether a physician or psychiatric nurse practitioner best meets your needs. Your state’s regulations will likely inform this decision, as some states might have supervision requirements for PMHNPs.
8. Other Legal Requirements: Requirements around facility regulations and board certification requirements might affect your ability to implement your telepsychiatry program. If you need help navigating these, let us know. We’re here to help.

After you finish your preliminary needs assessment, you should take a step back and reevaluate your telepsychiatry goals and outline how you plan to measure the success of your program moving forward.

Once You’ve Completed Your Needs Assessment, Evaluate Potential FQHC Telepsychiatry Vendors

You can start evaluating potential vendors if your needs assessment results have proven that your FQHC has the need and the budget to implement a telepsychiatry program.

The first thing you’ll have to do during the evaluation process is to create a checklist to understand your non-negotiable requirements for a telepsychiatry program to ensure potential vendors meet them. Also, ask vendors how their providers are vetted before being recommended for your clinic. Be sure to request referrals from current or past clients to understand how the vendor operates in the FQHC environment. Anytime vendors have Joint Commission Accreditation (JCO), it typically speaks to the quality of their services and their ability to enforce compliance and maintain effective processes.

Because telepsychiatry employs technology differently than traditional psychiatry solutions, you’ll want to evaluate the vendor’s bandwidth for technology support, support hours (whether availability for support is 24/7 or restricted), and whether the vendor will be available on the go-live date. Pay close attention to how they deal with privacy and security, as your telepsychiatry solutions will house sensitive patient information.

After You’ve Chosen a Telepsychiatry Vendor, It’s Time To Begin Implementing Your Program

Implementing a telepsychiatry program at your clinic can be a time-consuming process. These eight steps can help streamline the process:

1. Credentialing: As soon as you select a member and are matched with a provider, start the credentialing process. Your provider will need to be licensed in your state. Then you’ll need to obtain a license from the DEA and begin credentialing at your facility. This process will vet the provider’s work and education history and verify their references.
2. Assembling Your Implementation Team: You should begin assembling this team during the credentialing process, and the team should include your clinical lead and key decision-makers.
3. Assembling Your Telepsychiatry Care Team: Your telepsychiatry care team will be separate from your implementation team and may include desk staff, nurses, medical assistants, counselors, telepsychiatry providers, and administrators.
4. Training Your Staff: Create workflows specific to your front desk, support staff, and billing/coding team with the ability to scale as your telepsychiatry program grows.
5. Review Your Technology Workflows: Carefully plan how your technology use and workflows will fit with your telepsychiatry provider before your program’s go-live date, and consider retraining your team on your privacy and security standards.
6. Decide Your Provider’s Schedule: Consider how many days and hours you will need your telepsychiatry provider to work and ensure you have adequate staffing for that plan.
7. Market Your Telepsychiatry Services: We recommend beginning recruitment for referrals six weeks before your go-live date — beginning with internal counselors and primary care physicians.
8. Go-Live: Make sure you plan to do a test run a few days before you’re ready to go live, then you’ll be ready to launch your program!

By Following These Guidelines, You’ll Be Well On Your Way To Starting a Successful Telepsychiatry Program For Your FQHC

Starting a new telepsychiatry program can be intimidating, but fortunately, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We’ve seen many FQHCs create successful telepsychiatry programs to serve their communities in creative ways.

To learn more about how Iris Telehealth can help you get your program off the ground, contact us, and we’ll get you the information you need.

Many Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) had never implemented a formalized telepsychiatry program before COVID-19. Then, the pandemic forced them and other behavioral health organizations to adapt quickly to a world where telepsychiatry was necessary. Now, many CMHCs are looking into building a sustainable future that incorporates telepsychiatry into their core services to support their patient populations.

It can seem like an overwhelming process at first! But, we’re here to help you get started.

How to build a sustainable telepsychiatry program for your CMHC

As a CMHC, you may face challenges dealing with patient surpluses, lack of quality providers, and difficulty achieving continuity of care – especially if you’re based in a rural community.

A formal telepsychiatry program can help alleviate some of these challenges by allowing you to pull from high-quality providers from different cities and states.

Fortunately, the steps you need to take to get your program started don’t have to be complicated.

1. First, audit your EHR: Take note of how your organization addresses certain psychiatric conditions and your current patient wait times for mental health services.
2. Talk about telepsychiatry with your team: Consider how a formal telepsychiatry program will fit into your CMHC’s culture and help you deliver comprehensive mental health care.
3. Understand the scope of your needs: Think about your patient demographics, what provider type you need, how complex your cases generally are, your CMHC’s mission, and any other language or cultural considerations that are important for your community.
4. Know your hourly and budgetary needs: Think through how long your current waitlist is and how many service hours would be a good fit for your organization.
5. Check regulations for your state: Regulations can vary substantially from state to state. Understanding what the landscape looks like where you live is a critical first step.

Once you tick all these boxes, look back at your original goals and consider whether you need to make any changes or adjustments.

Once you lay out your strategy, it’s time to consider telepsychiatry vendor partners

It’s important to carefully vet potential telepsychiatry vendors to ensure they’ll be a good fit for your organization. Before you do anything else, create a checklist to understand your non-negotiable requirements for your telepsychiatry program.

When you’re talking to vendors, ask them how they vet their own providers. Make sure you request referrals and ask hard questions about their quality control processes, how they handle provider implementation, and how they track their own goals. This information should give you a good idea of how they would fit your CMHC’s culture and processes.

Also, analyze vendors’ bandwidth for technology support, their support hours (whether availability for support is 24/7 or restricted), and whether the vendor will be available on the go-live date.

CMHCs should find behavioral health providers who can adapt to their existing workflows and be long-term partners. And remember, the goal is not to replace in-person care but to supplement your existing team of behavioral health providers to better support your patients and improve your quality of care.

We can’t stress this enough – vendor culture fit is crucial to the success of your CMHC’s telepsychiatry program

The right telepsychiatrist can be an invaluable part of your team. For example, one of our Iris CMHC partners realized one of their local psychiatrists was responsible for over 50% of their patient population. They sought out a telepsychiatry partnership to mitigate their risk and diversify their pool of providers. Other Iris Telehealth partners were able to decrease their wait times from one year to five weeks and manage a 180% increase in client intake through their telepsychiatry programs.

As you’re building out your program and working with telepsychiatry vendors, it’s crucial that you carefully vet any potential clinical partners. You’ll want to ensure they provide high-quality care, have experience working with populations similar to yours, and share your CMHCs mission and vision for behavioral health care.

Once you’ve found the right vendor for you, it’s time for implementation and logistics

This process can be time-consuming, so make sure your schedule addresses these steps before your projected go-live date:

1. Licensing and credentialing: Plan for this to be the longest part of your organization’s implementation process. You should start this process immediately in collaboration with your vendor partner.
2. Put together your implementation team: This team should include key decision-makers who will be involved in the telepsychiatry program as well as your clinical lead. At Iris, we also recommend having a dedicated “Telehealth Champion” to act as your primary telepsychiatry liaison.
3. Assemble your telepsychiatry care team: Your care team might include front desk staff, nurses, medical assistants, counselors, and administrators.
4. Train your staff: You will likely have to create dedicated workflows to help your staff integrate your telepsychiatry program into your organization.
5. Make sure your technology is in order: Review your technology use and workflows ahead of your go-live date. You may also be able to lean on your telepsychiatry vendor partner for tech support and guidance.
6. Get the word out about your program:Ahead of your go-live date, start informing your patients and community about your new telepsychiatry services. We recommend doing this work six weeks before your launch date.
7. Go-live: 24-48 hours before you plan to launch, we recommend going through a dry run to ensure everything is in order. Then, it’s time to officially start services!

Setting up your CMHC telepsychiatry program can feel like a lot of work, but it’s worth it

You can build a better future for your patients and communities by supplementing your critical behavioral health services with telepsychiatry. We’ve already helped many CMHCs create successful telepsychiatry programs to serve their communities.

To learn more about how Iris Telehealth can help you get your program off the ground, contact us, and we’ll get you the information you need.

If you’re a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner, you might recently have started looking for work in telemedicine, a growing industry in the world of mental health and medicine.

But how exactly do you decide which telemedicine company is best for you? In this article, we’ll highlight the most important features to look for when searching for a job in behavioral health telemedicine.

Key Features When Choosing Your Telemedicine Company

Telemedicine is a way of providing specific health care services using technology, such as videoconferencing. Telepsychiatry is a type of telemedicine that involves services ranging from psychiatric evaluations, therapy (both individual and group), patient education, and medication management. Essentially, a telepsychiatry session is identical to that of a conventional in-person interview – Doctors work with patients to identify issues, develop a treatment plan, and can prescribe medication when necessary, all through videoconferencing.

The best telemedicine company to work for in mental/behavioral health will:

Provide 24/7 On-Call Services

Your telemedicine company should offer care to an organization’s clients both during scheduled times in the outpatient setting and as needed in a hospital setting, giving you more flexibility to work the hours that are most conducive to your lifestyle. It also enables patients to receive the care they need, when they need it.

Be Psychiatrist-Owned and Operated

The best telemedicine company should have an intimate, expert understanding of clinical practice. This can largely be accomplished when the company is owned and operated by licensed psychiatrists who are familiar with the optimal workflows for patient care and understand how to advocate for your needs as an employee.

Incorporate Work, Life, Balance

Achieving that perfect balance between your work and other aspects of your life should be easy when working for the best telepsychiatry company – You should be able to live life on your terms, rather than have your life be dictated by a rigid schedule.

Utilize HIPAA Compliant Technology

Top-tier telepsychiatrist providers should consult with their organizations to set up HIPAA-compliant technology. Alternatively, they should integrate with any pre-existing technology an organization has in place. And perhaps most importantly, technicians should always be available if you need troubleshooting advice while working with a patient.

Provide Paid Time Off and Benefits

Receiving paid time off and benefits are important at any job – and telepsychiatry is no exception. At Iris Telehealth, we provide five weeks of paid vacation (including holidays). You can also enroll in health benefits, life insurance, and a 401k.

Offers Extra Perks

Because who doesn’t love getting some added perks with their job? The best telemedicine company for behavioral health should provide you with support and resources ranging from equipment, 24/7 tech support, office expense reimbursement, CME credit and malpractice insurance.

Stays Up To Date On Policies

Each state has its own rules, regulations, and restrictions to providing care through telehealth. Your telepsychiatry company should stay up-to-date on all these policies and advise you on compliance with all federal and state rules on telemedicine.

Improve Patient Outcomes

One of the most important features of a telemedicine company for behavioral health is that they improve patient outcomes by optimizing technology for patient experience, provider ease, and reliable administrative workflows.

If you’re struggling to recruit quality psychiatrists – or even just any psychiatrists – you might turn to telepsychiatry as an alternative method to provide your patients with care.

It’s hard enough as it is to select a telepsychiatry company to work with, but what if I told you most telepsych vendors are keeping a BIG secret from you? Whether you work with us or not, you should know what you’re getting into. There’s a white lie most telepsychiatry vendors tell healthcare organizations, and it’s time for us to shed the light on what that is.

The Truth About Telepsychiatry Companies

“We have hundreds of psychiatrists in our network.”

How many times have you heard this from a telepsychiatry vendor? Maybe you’ve even heard them say they have thousands of psychiatrists in their network.

Though this statement might technically be true for them, it’s not necessarily true for you. What I mean by that is – those psychiatrists haven’t been interviewed, vetted, and prepped for work. They may have simply applied to work for the telepsychiatry organization. So, sure – their network of doctors might be large — but their network of doctors who are employed and ready to work is small.

The truth of the matter is: the organizations that make these outrageous claims actually have few, if any, fully employed providers.

That might initially seem like no big deal to you, but in reality, that means you need to add an additional one to three months to your original timeline to implement telepsychiatry. Vetting doctors is no small task.

What many health organizations fail to do when they are looking into working with a telepsychiatry organization is to determine what the organization’s actual relationship is with the providers.

Reveal the Truth

There are a few simple questions you can ask to determine the relationship many telepsychiatry organizations have with their providers. These simple questions can help you cut through the hogwash and get straight to the truth.

1. How many providers do you currently employ?

This question allows you to figure out how many doctors are working for the telepsychiatry organization you’re speaking with. You don’t need to know how many are simply in their network; you need to know the number of providers who are actually on their payroll.

2. What is your relationship with those providers?

Are they 1099 or W9 employees? Do they provide benefits for their doctors, including PTO and malpractice insurance? Are the providers happily employed, and can the telepsych company provide testimonials to prove that? Continuity of care is important, which means the telepsychiatrist you work with needs to have a reason to stay with the company you partner with.

3. Do you have providers for the kind of work I need?

Do you have a need for specialty services, like child psychiatry or substance abuse care? If so, it’s important to say this up-front and make sure the telepsychiatry organization already has (or can find) a psychiatrist who will cover your specific need.

4. How long will it take for me to speak with your provider?

The answer they give to this question will allow you to determine if they have psychiatrists ready to go, or if they still have some recruiting to do. Depending on your timeline, this could be a “make or break” answer for you.

5. What is your vetting process like?

Do they do most of the work, or do they leave that up to you? One of the benefits of telepsychiatry is that it gives you the opportunity to work with some of the highest quality psychiatrists in the United States. Your telepsychiatry partner should be making sure you have access to those providers that are the best of the best.

Select Your Telepsychiatry Partner Wisely

Your telepsychiatry provider is going to be an extension of your company. Thus, they should be a true partner, integrating completely into your systems and making sure your patients get exactly what they need – including access to a psychiatrist as soon as possible.

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

How Telepsych can work even if you use paper records

You’ve heard about this cool, new thing called telepsychiatry and you’d love to give it a shot, but there is one thing standing in your way… You still use paper records.

Here’s the thing: You’re not alone! According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMMS), 6 percent of hospitals still use paper records. With many hospitals struggling to just break even, just thinking about the cost of an electronic health record (EHR) is enough reason to avoid implementation.

So, we get it. EHRs, while convenient, cost money…and a lot of it. Plus, they require a lot of time between transitioning records over and training staff. It can be hard to start new things when your current systems are already working just fine, thank you very much!

Did you know that paper records and telemedicine aren’t mutually exclusive?

The truth is, with the right tools and know-how, the two can work together seamlessly. Who would’ve thought?

How can you be sure we’re not making this up? Why should you trust us?

We’re a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners in the business and we partner with numerous hospitals and clinics throughout the nation to connect their patients to excellent providers.

Telepsychiatry is an innovative practice in healthcare where psychiatric providers use technology, or telemedicine, to deliver psychiatric care to patients, typically via videoconferencing. It improves patient access to standard psychiatric services, like psychiatric assessment and medication management.

Telepsychiatry equips health systems across the nation with the tools to provide high quality, accessible and affordable mental healthcare to their patients. We have an ever-increasing demand for mental healthcare in the United States, which is directly affected by our national shortage of psychiatric providers. Telemedicine is a solution that is transforming the way care is delivered. It’s allowing hospitals and health clinics in rural and underserved areas to recruit excellent providers and improve patient care while reducing or maintaining costs.

We actively work with health systems that still use paper records rather than electronic health records. And, surprisingly enough, it works! Let us give you the low-down.

Integrating paper records and Telepsychiatry

Our company’s founding mission is that rural and underserved communities deserve the same access to mental health care as the rest of the country. Many telemedicine organizations allow paper records to be a barrier of entry by refusing to find a way to integrate with health systems that still use them. We found a way — because we fundamentally believe that something as common as paper records shouldn’t stop people from receiving the care they deserve.

We work with a handful of health systems that still use paper records for their EHR, and through a trial-and-error process, we learned what works and what doesn’t.

From our partners’ collective experiences, we’ve found the solution to integrating an off-site doctor into your health system, while also having them use paper records, is actually pretty simple.

Typically, we digitize all necessary forms so our psychiatrists can complete them in an approved, automated fashion mirroring a traditional EHR. They will sign and fax the forms to the system so they can be printed and placed in the nurse’s chart. Any other paper forms for patient evaluations, follow ups, and billing codes can also be integrated into our system and completed by our doctors.

Our partners have found that this system may take time to get used to, but is the most efficient workflow to ensure paperwork is properly documented – and trust us, we’ve tried a lot!

Integrating paper records and Telepsychiatry

It’s crucial to have the full support and buy-in of your on-site staff for the success of any telepsychiatry program. But this is particularly important when it comes to integrating a psychiatrist into a system that utilizes paper records because it requires clear communication among all staff members, including those off-site.

Our partners have found that a few simple steps make the process of getting your staff on board much easier — and it all comes down to making them feel valued. Buy-in is easier to foster when your people feel personally involved. Below are a few of the ways we encourage our partners, and you, to train on-site staff to ensure integration is seamless:

1. Develop a clear workflow

This seems simple, but it’s easily one of the most important components. Without a clear workflow that everyone can understand, chaos can, and will, ensue. In one of our largest hospital system partners, they have flyers hanging up at the nurses’ stations with a detailed workflow for telepsychiatry consults – starting with how to schedule one and outlining each step thereafter. This way, it stays top-of-mind and is readily accessible to anyone who forgets a step in the process.

2. Host several staff training workshops

Our partners have found that hosting not just one, but a handful of staff training workshops before, during, and after implementation makes a huge difference in the initial success of their telepsychiatry program. This not only keeps your existing staff on their toes but also allows for new staff to be trained.

3. Have your provider start on-site

Not all of our providers start on-site. However, our partners have found that when there are a lot of moving parts (like implementing a workflow with paper records and telepsychiatry), it makes everyone feel more comfortable and confident in using the telepsych service. Since your staff will be assisting the telepsychiatrist with documentation, an on-site start helps foster a good working relationship with your telepsychiatrist.

4. Continue to ask for feedback from your staff

Telepsychiatry is a great solution to expanding your existing care team and psychiatric services — but it’s still an adjustment for your staff. It’s important to make your team feel valued during times of change so they know you recognize that adjustments aren’t always easy. Our partners make sure their nurses and other on-site staff know our door is always open for constructive feedback when it comes to improving the workflow and growing our telepsychiatry partnership.

Learn More

Is Telepsychiatry right for you as a provider?

When it comes to telepsychiatry, I’ve seen it all. I know telepsychiatry is a mutually beneficial innovation: it allows psychiatric providers to work from the comfort of their own home and health systems to find the best psychiatric providers for their patients

You might be wondering who I am…my name is Marcella Nichols, and I’ve been the Recruiting Coordinator for Iris Telehealth for almost a year now. I have an M.S. in Clinical Psychology and this, combined with my professional certification in human resources, gives me a unique advantage, as I interact with the psychiatrists and psychiatric advanced practice nurse practitioners who apply to work with us.

Because I interact with psychiatric providers on a daily basis, I thought I could provide some insight into what our telepsychiatry positions entail and answer some frequently asked questions. I wanted to share why I’m passionate about telepsychiatry, and why Iris Telehealth has earned a reputation as one of the best companies to work with/be apart of.

On a personal note, I volunteered to write a blog post because I enjoy writing and as a Yelp Elite, I thoroughly enjoy sharing all the details of an awesome business. Some may consider this a 5-star review…and they’re not wrong!

Why Telepsychiatry is the perfect opportunity for you

Telepsychiatry provides a different type of work environment for psychiatric providers. Picture this: you start your day in your own home office, in a space that feels and looks professional. A space that is well-lit, and free of distractions. You sign in to your telepsychiatry interface, and you’re off to work. No time wasted commuting to a clinic or hospital in your car, the subway, or the bus. Technology allows you to start your day by simply walking into your home office, which is one of the biggest perks. Commuting = time…time away from your family and time away from your patients. If you’re someone who hates to commute, telepsychiatry may be for you!

At Iris Telehealth, the majority of our partners are outpatient clinics in a community mental health setting. Telepsychiatry gives these clinics access to providers they might not otherwise be able to hire since it’s difficult enough to recruit psychiatric prescribers due to provider shortages, let alone when located in a rural area! It allows for some of the most underserved and disenfranchised communities to receive amazing psychiatric care and services. Something we don’t talk about enough is how incredibly rewarding it is for you, the provider, to have the ability to serve these patients – the patients you are so passionate about helping.  Hence, telepsychiatry is a phenomenal solution. For us, there is nothing more rewarding than building lasting relationships with our partners and our providers. We strive to provide you with the security and stability of a long term placement by matching you with the best partner for your availability, skills and experience, and clinical preferences.

How to do Telepsych (even if you’re not a techie)

Don’t worry if you’re not a technology expert, telepsychiatry is actually simple to use. If you can use a computer, and have a solid Internet connection, you can do telepsychiatry! We also provide 24/7 technical support, so you have experts at hand if there’s ever an issue. As a Recruiting Coordinator, I’ve experienced my own IT hiccups along the way. My problems were solved almost instantly by our amazing IT specialists. For example, when my RingCentral line was not allowing me to make outgoing calls, our tech team was able to sort out the update quickly, so I didn’t miss an opportunity to make a reference call (and as a result, proceed with a candidate like you)!

The benefits of working remotely

Telepsychiatry offers flexibility in terms of hours and commuting, providing an escape from the confines and limitations of a traditional work environment. We handle the licensing and credentialing process in any state in the U.S., so you can work from anywhere (as long as your current residence is located in the USA or Puerto Rico).

As a result, time zones can work to your advantage. Perhaps you are someone who enjoys having your mornings free to run errands, working out at the gym, or spending time with your family. You have the flexibility to start your day later, or even earlier at 6:00 or 7:00 AM, in your current time zone.  Wish you could end your day at 3:00 PM so you can pick up your kids from school? Telepsychiatry makes that dream a reality and gives you the freedom to choose your own schedule.

Being part of the team

You might be working remotely, but you’re still part of the team. Our clinics recognize our telepsychiatry providers as an important piece of the puzzle and an integral part of their care team. They will recognize, and include you, as a provider as much as possible.

At Iris, we want you to feel like you have a work family. We have a Medical Director who you collaborate with remotely. He is your go-to resource, and you will meet with him at least once a quarter. Some of our clinics have more than one Iris provider, so you can make connections with fellow Iris team members as well as the clinic’s onsite staff. Communication is important, and this is compounded when you are working virtually. Since you are not physically there in the room with the patient, it’s important to be able to rely and convey what is needed to those who are involved on site. We help both you and the onsite staff to foster strong relationships built on a foundation of open and honest communication. As an Iris provider, you’re never alone, even though you might be far away – you have the support of dedicated Iris staff as well as the clinic’s team.

I want to work for Iris! Where can I apply?

We are always looking to expand our medical group with talented, passionate providers! Here’s a crazy statistic – we have hundreds of providers apply to work with us every week, and we only extend formal offers to six percent of applicants. If you consider yourself a self-starter, who is great at communicating and passionate about your work, we want to hear from you!  We are searching for providers who are friendly, enjoy learning, and are flexible and adaptable.

You can find us on Indeed.com here. You can also apply directly on our website here. Also, you may email your resume/CV directly to talent@iristelehealth.com in either a Word Doc or PDF format (our system does not support opening resumes sent through Apple pages/note software).  On your resume, please ensure that it lists your most current email address.

If you apply through Indeed.com, your personal email address does not appear unless it is listed so it’s helpful to include your cell phone number. We appreciate your interest in working with us, and want to make sure that we are able to reach out to you!

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless hospitals and community health organizations across the country add telepsychiatry to their list of services. We believe everyone should have access to compassionate mental health care, and we have made it our mission to find innovative, affordable ways of making this possible!