Over the past 5 – 7 years, the Mental Health Epidemic has exploded at a national level. Telemedicine was a natural offshoot of MAT, which now allows those in rural and underserved areas to receive the same level of medical and psychiatric care, essential for MAT.
Telehealth
Some of the Benefits of
Tele-Medicine
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Ability to serve those who would otherwise not have access to care
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Allows states to overcome the shortage of providers
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Forces all disciplines to work together which creates a holistic and comprehensive approach
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Some of the Requirements for a successful Tele-Med Program are:
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Robust IT Infrastructure
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Knowledgeable and well trained medical staff (physicians and RN’s)
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Buy-in from the staff and community being served
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Strong and Open Communication – regular staffing of clients
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Multi-Disciplinary Team/Approach – must bring the medical and psychosocial components of treatment together through an acceptance of common and evidence-based modalities
Leveraging the Power of Telehealth
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Clientss get seen in days, not weeks. Provider caseloads are increased without the burden of traveling long distances.
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Telehealth is as effective as in-person care. Client satisfaction, client retention to services, and access to services are greatly improved.
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RecoVET HealthCare has become a leading care provider in the state of Missouri. RecoVET HealthCare has emerged as a leader in substance use and behavioral health through integrating telehealth services into our daily clinical and administrative practice.
Telemedicine is well-suited for clients seeking help for substance use disorder, psychiatric and behavioral health services. RecoVET HealthCare provides telehealth substance use services across the state of Missouri to around 40 substance use and behavioral health satellite partners. Over 80% of all our medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services are performed over Zoom, a free app for public usage. Our organization has proven that MAT can work successfully with telehealth and fully integrates telehealth into our daily practice and organizational vision.
RecoVET HealthCare understands where a lot of our clients are coming from. Many of the clients that we see face barriers to access and transportation. Unfortunately for many, the coronavirus pandemic has not created any type of relief for the communities we serve either. By shifting to a focus on telemedicine, the clients' burden has been lightened, our providers feel more at ease with being able to juggle an increase in services, and the communities we serve, near or far, feel more connected to us now than ever before.
Telemedicine allows our providers to reach clients in widely diverse geographical areas without the client having to travel long distances. Because of reduced travel times, this additionally allows treatment providers to see clients at more convenient times like mornings and evenings, which works well for clients who may not seek treatment because of barriers tied to time commitments, i.e.: travel to an in-person appointment, employment barriers, barriers to childcare access.
Telemedicine significantly increases both the access and convenience for clients who otherwise may not seek treatment. Areas where there is a lack of access to substance use and behavioral health services, also known as treatment deserts, exist throughout Missouri. Telemedicine is not only more convenient for the client, but allows for easier managed follow-up visits, resulting in client retention in treatment.
It is RecoVET HealthCare's mission to ensure that all individuals who have a desire to seek services have access to it no matter the cause. ARCA has been able to engage clients in a more effective way than ever before by being able to reach the client where they are. Scheduling an appointment is easy and can be done online! Follow the link below to start your recovery journey.