Telehealth and Mental Health

Telehealth and Mental HealthBY: SOPHIE NGUYENPSM CANDIDATE, BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATICSUNC-CHAPEL HILL, CLASS OF 2017

Telehealth in terms of mental health is still a young field•Allows the reach of medical care to expand further •Continual innovations in technology allow for newer applications in the medical field

Within telehealth is mobile health which offers a world of opportunity •Software apps in smart phones allow for usages like…

◦ symptom assessment◦ psychoeducation◦ telecounseling ◦ resource location◦ tracking of treatment progress

•Patients with PTSD report high satisfaction due to greater effectiveness

Online video game therapy helps those with ADHD, anxiety, autism, and more

For children with ADHD, video games have multiple uses•Children can struggle to express themselves in talk therapy •Cognitively demanding video games can inhibit some hyperactivity

◦ Intrinsically motivating games can be effective so long as they do not involve high working memory or distractions

Geriatric patients benefit greatly from telehealth•Common problems by elderly patients include:

◦ Medication noncompliance◦ Isolation◦ Limited access to medical care and services

•These patients may have more risks against safety and independent functioning which can lead to living in nursing homes sooner

Telehealth offers unique ways to support patients from afar

Thank you!

Sources •Online Video Game Therapy for Mental Health Concerns: A Review By Nathan Wilkinson, Rebecca P. Ang, and Dion H. Goh•An Evaluation Framework for a Rural Home-Based Telerehabilitation Network by George Demiris, Cheryl L. Shigaki, and Laura H. Schopp•mHealth for mental health: Integrating smartphone technology in behavioral healthcare by David D. Luxton, Russell A. McCann, Nigel E. Bush, Matthew C. Mishkind, and Greg M. Reger•Addressing the Mental Health Needs of the Rural Underserved: Findings from a Multiple Case Study of a Behavioral Telehealth Project by Richard J. Bischoff, Cody S. Hollist, Craig W. Smith, and Paul Flack•Attitudes Toward Medical and Mental Health Care Delivered Via Telehealth Applications Among Rural and Urban Primary Care Patients by Anouk L. Grubaugh, PhD, Gregory D. Cain, MS, Jon D. Elhai, PhD, Sarah L. Patrick, PhD, and B. Christopher Frueh, PhD