As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, virtual healthcare is becoming more popular than ever. But is it as effective as in-person therapy?

Imagine accessing mental health care from the comfort of your home, a private space in your office, or while traveling. The flexibility of online therapy is unmatched. It’s also convenient.

1. Convenience

Virtual psychiatry offers unparalleled accessibility for Illinois residents living in remote areas or with mobility issues. They can schedule appointments without the need to take time off work to travel to a psychiatrist’s office. This convenience allows patients to maintain regular appointments and avoid gaps in care.

Psychiatrists also find it easier to connect with patients over video because they can see non-verbal cues and body language more clearly. This can be especially helpful for individuals who struggle with anxiety or depression, or have trouble opening up in person. Moreover, patients can remain comfortable in their own home, making virtual treatment more relatable to their needs.

In addition, virtual sessions are more convenient for family members and other loved ones who can join the session. This feature can be a big help to parents or caregivers who are often involved in the patient’s care. However, it can also pose a challenge because loved ones may interrupt the visit or try to talk over the psychiatrist during the session. It is important to discuss whether virtual sessions are a good fit for your individual situation before deciding on this modality for therapy.

The goal of this study was to elucidate patient and clinician satisfaction with virtual behavioral health care across an integrated healthcare system. Specifically, the researchers measured no-show rates and length of stay for patients in virtual and in-person versions of mental health intensive outpatient programs (IOP). The investigators tracked outcomes by treatment acuity, allowing them to compare virtual and in-person IOP over an extended duration. The investigators also used retrospective EHR data to evaluate patient satisfaction with virtual partial hospitalization programs and mental health outpatient services.

2. Accessibility

In addition to offering unparalleled accessibility, virtual therapy is also a convenient option for patients who have trouble attending in-person sessions due to location, work schedules, or caregiving responsibilities. Whether you’re looking for individual talk therapy, group therapy, or psychiatric monitoring, virtual IOP programs provide the same comprehensive treatment as in-person options while allowing you to connect with your therapist in a comfortable and familiar environment.

Ms D was hospitalized in person during the COVID-19 pandemic, and when her institution temporarily transitioned to a remote telepsychiatry model, she was worried that physicians wouldn’t be able to accurately assess her mood and personality on videoconferencing. She felt that body language and hand gestures were critical to the therapeutic connection and feared that her new psychiatrist would miss important cues that are more difficult to pick up on through a screen.

However, when Ms D’s hospitalization was completed, she found that the remote telepsychiatry experience had been beneficial. She reported that she was more engaged with her treatment, and she had received excellent medication recommendations. Moreover, she found that she was more likely to attend virtual therapy appointments because she had an easy way to access her psychiatrist’s schedule and to request appointment reminders.

Ms D’s experiences were consistent with those from a recent quality-of-care study. The study analyzed patient satisfaction ratings from participants who participated in virtual and in-person mental health intensive outpatient programs (IOP) within an integrated healthcare system over an extended duration. The results indicated that patient and clinician preference for virtual treatments increased with time, indicating that telemedicine can be an effective option for patients who struggle to attend in-person sessions due to mobility issues, lack of reliable transportation, job and family care responsibilities, and other commitments.

3. Security

Patients can access virtual counseling from the comfort of their own homes, offices, or other preferred locations. This flexibility can help alleviate anxiety that some individuals may feel when visiting a psychiatrist in-person. Additionally, meeting in familiar surroundings can help patients open up and engage in a more honest dialogue with their psychiatrist, potentially leading to improved treatment outcomes.

However, there are some drawbacks to virtual sessions. For example, it can be difficult to address sensitive topics, such as suicidal thoughts or hallucinations, during a session when the patient is looking directly into a camera lens and seeing themselves on screen. Some people find this type of setting too intense to discuss these types of issues, resulting in a lack of progress with their mental health.

Another concern is that telepsychiatry cannot replicate the body language and hand gestures that are often a part of a conversation. As such, it can be challenging for clinicians to make an accurate diagnosis and sound treatment decisions during a videoconferencing interview.

For these reasons, it is important that patients understand the limitations of a virtual session and only participate when they are in a safe, private environment free from distractions and interruptions. It is also recommended that patients have a stable, reliable internet connection prior to the session and be on a secure Wi-Fi network.

For many patients, telepsychiatry is an ideal option for addressing their mental health needs. In fact, most insurance providers cover this service. Patients should always check with their insurance provider to ensure that telepsychiatry is covered for them. In the event that it is not, they can still benefit from a regular in-person appointment with their psychiatrist.

4. Flexibility

Whether you live in the city of Chicago or more remote areas of Illinois, the flexibility offered by online therapy allows you to connect with compassionate and skilled therapists without having to travel. You can attend sessions from the comfort of your home, your workplace, or any other location you choose. It’s a great option for people who want to get the support they need but find it difficult to make time in their busy schedules to go to an office-based therapist.

While telepsychiatry offers unparalleled convenience, it’s important to remember that you will need to be in a private and comfortable environment for your sessions. In order to have the most productive sessions, you will need to be able to focus on the session and not your surroundings or distractions. This is especially important if you are discussing sensitive topics, such as suicidal thoughts or relationship issues.

As a result, you should plan to wear something comfortable and prepare for your appointment ahead of time. This could include journaling or a quick walk to help you shift your focus to the session. You may also want to consider creating before and after sessions rituals that you can do regularly to help you prepare for your appointment and shift back into normal life afterward.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many psychiatrists switched to virtual visits and have since remained that way. As a result, most insurance companies now offer telemedicine coverage for behavioral health care. However, some providers require patients to have occasional in-person appointments to ensure that the quality of their care remains high. In either case, it’s important to check with your insurance provider before deciding how you will conduct your virtual visits.

5. Privacy

Chicago psychiatry Patients are more likely to feel comfortable talking about sensitive issues with a clinician when they know that the information will not be shared outside of a secure setting. This is particularly important in psychiatry, where the information elicited from patients may include symptoms, behaviors, or thoughts that could be embarrassing, stigmatizing, or discriminatory if publicly known.

Patients can also benefit from the privacy offered by virtual sessions by ensuring that they are in a private space free from interruptions or eavesdropping, and that the session is on a videoconferencing platform that is HIPAA compliant. Additionally, it is helpful for patients to review their therapists’ privacy policies and procedures to learn about how they protect patient information.

Many psychiatrists have been reluctant to offer virtual visits in the past due to concerns about insurance coverage and patient safety. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to experiment with virtual services, and many have found that they are able to provide the same level of quality care as in-person meetings.

During semistructured interviews with 20 psychiatrists, they reported that almost all of their patients were good candidates for virtual visits in hybrid treatment models. They reported that telemedicine allows them to meet patients “where they are” and improves engagement in care.

Despite these positive findings, the recent federal regulations on medical privacy are set to profoundly change many aspects of psychiatric practice. It is unclear how patients will respond to these changes, but clear descriptions of the foreseeable risks to their privacy and a willingness to discuss ways to mitigate those risks (e.g., by omitting certain information from the record or by keeping psychotherapy notes separate from medical records) may help.