What Is Telemental Health?

Telemental Health is the provision of mental health services using live, interactive video conferencing.

Who Benefits by Using Telemental Health Services?

  • Patients
  • Clinicians
  • Provider organizations
  • Communities

Benefits for Patients

  • Key Benefit: Improved access to specialty mental health services for assessment and ongoing treatment
  • Key Benefit: Improved quality of mental health care.
  • Better integration of specialty mental health services into the patient’s health care more generally.
  • Reduced costs for accessing specialty mental health services (e.g. time, travel costs).
  • Reduced wait time.
  • Improved continuity of care and follow-up

Benefits for Clinicians Working in Rural and Underserved Communities

  • Key Benefit: Improved access to mental health specialists for consultation.
  • Key Benefit: Improved quality of mental health care for patients.
  • Reduced professional isolation.
  • Improved access to continuing medical education programs.
  • Improved continuity of care and follow-up.

Benefits for Provider Organizations in Rural and Underserved Communities

  • Key Benefit: Greater ability to offer specialty mental health services to patients in a more consistent and flexible manner than otherwise possible.
  • Key Benefit: Improved quality of mental health care for patients.
  • Improved patient satisfaction.
  • Greater job satisfaction (and improved retention) for both rural non-specialty and non-rural specialty mental health clinicians.

Benefits for Specialty Mental Health Clinicians Providing Telemental Health Services

  • Greater ability to serve rural and underserved communities even when living in large, urban areas without incurring the burden of frequent travel.
  • Increased flexibility in work schedules.
  • Ability to practice in states where licensed but not physically located.

Other Notable Facts Regarding Telemental Health

  • High consumer and practitioner satisfaction.
  • The technology is available now and can be easily tailored to program, practitioner, and patient needs.
  • Telemental health communications are secure and confidential.
  • Costs are typically reduced overall for patients and provider organization, even when including start-up costs for the necessary technological infrastructure.
  • More and more federal, state, and third-party payers have made telemental health services eligible for reimbursement.