Telemedicine / Telepsychiatry 

Developing Minds now offers phone and video telemedicine!  Connect with your psychiatrist or psychologist from the comfort of your home (or wherever you happen to be) using your phone or computer.  Taking care of your mental health is easier than ever!  Call today to schedule your appointment!

Covid19 has changed a lot about our world since March 2020, and we’ve all been dealing with it in different ways.  One positive that has come out of this pandemic has been the adoption of telepsychiatry and telepsychology as ways to reach current patients safely, and allow new patients increased access to mental health care during these uncertain times.  Developing Minds psychiatrists and psychologists are currently treating new and current patients via HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms. We encourage you to take advantage of this technology to get the support you need from the comfort of your own home!

Benefits

Video-based telepsychiatry helps meet patients’ needs for convenient, affordable and readily-accessible mental health services. It can benefit patients in a number of ways, such as:

  • Improve access to mental health specialty care that might not otherwise be available (e.g., in rural areas)

  • Bring care to the patient’s location

  • Help integrate behavioral health care and primary care, leading to better outcomes

  • Reduce the need for trips to the emergency room

  • Reduce delays in care

  • Improve continuity of care and follow-up

  • Reduce the need for time off work, childcare services, etc. to access appointments far away

  • Reduce potential transportation barriers, such as lack of transportation or the need for long drives

  • Reduce the barrier of stigma

While some people may be reluctant or feel awkward talking to a person on a screen, experience shows most people are comfortable with it. Some people may be more relaxed and willing to open up from the comfort of their home. Also, this will likely be less of a problem as people become more familiar and comfortable with video communication in everyday life.

Telepsychiatry allows psychiatrists to treat more patients in distant locations. Psychiatrists and other clinicians need to be licensed in the state(s) where the patient they are working with is located. State licensing boards and legislatures view the location of the patient as the place where “the practice of medicine” occurs.

Although telepsychiatry has the disadvantage of the patient and psychiatrist not being in the same room, it can create enhanced feelings of safety, security and privacy for many patients.

Evidence for Effectiveness

There is substantial evidence of the effectiveness of telepsychiatry and research has found satisfaction to be high among patients, psychiatrists and other professionals. Telepsychiatry is equivalent to in-person care in diagnostic accuracy, treatment effectiveness, quality of care and patient satisfaction. Patient privacy and confidentiality are equivalent to in-person care.

Research has also found that overall experiences among all age groups have been good. There is evidence for children, adolescents and adults regarding assessment and treatment (medication and therapy). There are even people for which telemedicine may be preferable to in-person care, for example people with autism or severe anxiety disorders and patients with physical limitations may find the remote treatment particularly useful.

Telepsychiatry has been found especially effective with respect to the treatment of PTSD, depression, and ADHD. 

What to expect

When you schedule an appointment with one of our providers, you will receive an email confirming that appointment with instructions on how to attend your visit.   Simply follow these steps to connect securely with your provider:

  • Using your cell phone or a laptop, go to https://doxy.me/xxx (your provider waiting room)  at your appointment time.

  • Enter your name when prompted

  • Wait in the "waiting room" to be connected

  • Your provider will be with you shortly.

ONLINE PAYMENTS

We now offer online payment through Quickbooks. Our staff will send an email invoice after your appointment, allowing you to pay securely online.   If you would rather call with a card number and pay by phone, that is ok too.