The Dirty Little Secret of Most Telepsychiatry Vendors

If you’re struggling to recruit quality psychiatrists – or even just any psychiatrists – you might turn to telepsychiatry as an alternative method to provide your patients with care.

It’s hard enough as it is to select a telepsychiatry company to work with, but what if I told you most telepsych vendors are keeping a BIG secret from you? Whether you work with us or not, you should know what you’re getting into. There’s a white lie most telepsychiatry vendors tell healthcare organizations, and it’s time for us to shed the light on what that is.

The Truth About Telepsychiatry Companies

“We have hundreds of psychiatrists in our network.”

How many times have you heard this from a telepsychiatry vendor? Maybe you’ve even heard them say they have thousands of psychiatrists in their network.

Though this statement might technically be true for them, it’s not necessarily true for you. What I mean by that is – those psychiatrists haven’t been interviewed, vetted, and prepped for work. They may have simply applied to work for the telepsychiatry organization. So, sure – their network of doctors might be large — but their network of doctors who are employed and ready to work is small.

The truth of the matter is: the organizations that make these outrageous claims actually have few, if any, fully employed providers.

That might initially seem like no big deal to you, but in reality, that means you need to add an additional one to three months to your original timeline to implement telepsychiatry. Vetting doctors is no small task.

What many health organizations fail to do when they are looking into working with a telepsychiatry organization is to determine what the organization’s actual relationship is with the providers.

Reveal the Truth

There are a few simple questions you can ask to determine the relationship many telepsychiatry organizations have with their providers. These simple questions can help you cut through the hogwash and get straight to the truth.

1. How many providers do you currently employ?

This question allows you to figure out how many doctors are working for the telepsychiatry organization you’re speaking with. You don’t need to know how many are simply in their network; you need to know the number of providers who are actually on their payroll.

2. What is your relationship with those providers?

Are they 1099 or W9 employees? Do they provide benefits for their doctors, including PTO and malpractice insurance? Are the providers happily employed, and can the telepsych company provide testimonials to prove that? Continuity of care is important, which means the telepsychiatrist you work with needs to have a reason to stay with the company you partner with.

3. Do you have providers for the kind of work I need?

Do you have a need for specialty services, like child psychiatry or substance abuse care? If so, it’s important to say this up-front and make sure the telepsychiatry organization already has (or can find) a psychiatrist who will cover your specific need.

4. How long will it take for me to speak with your provider?

The answer they give to this question will allow you to determine if they have psychiatrists ready to go, or if they still have some recruiting to do. Depending on your timeline, this could be a “make or break” answer for you.

5. What is your vetting process like?

Do they do most of the work, or do they leave that up to you? One of the benefits of telepsychiatry is that it gives you the opportunity to work with some of the highest quality psychiatrists in the United States. Your telepsychiatry partner should be making sure you have access to those providers that are the best of the best.

Select Your Telepsychiatry Partner Wisely

Your telepsychiatry provider is going to be an extension of your company. Thus, they should be a true partner, integrating completely into your systems and making sure your patients get exactly what they need – including access to a psychiatrist as soon as possible.

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

17 Reasons Why Telepsychiatry is the Future of Mental Healthcare

The future of healthcare is bright – especially mental healthcare.

Today more than ever, there are more tools and resources available to consumers to help with their mental health needs. From apps that help people practice mindfulness to permissive telepsychiatry legislation passing through, it’s an exciting time to be in the mental health space.

As we look towards the future of what mental healthcare will look like in the coming years, it’s easy to see why telepsychiatry will play a big role in it. Ten years ago, telepsychiatry was barely even a word. Now, it’s basically a movement. Whether clinics are practicing telepsychiatry internally or contracting with a vendor, it’s becoming more and more common.

When our company was first founded in 2013, we had to take a moment and explain what telepsychiatry was to anyone who worked in the mental healthcare space. Conversations would go something like this…

“What does Iris do?”

“Oh, we provide telepsychiatry services!”

“….Tele-what?”

“Telepsychiatry. It means our psychiatrists provide care to your patients through a video conferencing software.”

“And that’s allowed?!”

Then, we’d talk about legislation, answer some questions about technology, and teach them about the value of something like this. Now, when we attend conferences or trade shows and people look at our booth, the conversation is a little bit different. Usually, it’s more like this…

“Telepsych?! Wow, we need that!” or “Telepsychiatry, cool! We do that at our clinic.”

It’s easy to see why the future of mental healthcare is secure. Not only are people more aware of the options they have, like the ability to use telepsychiatry, but people are much more comfortable with technology than ever before. Telemedicine technology companies are popping up left and right, empowering healthcare organizations to deliver care in more innovative ways than they ever could have imagined.

Telepsychiatry is the future of mental healthcare, and there are many reasons why we believe this is the case.

  1. Mental healthcare is becoming more normalized, leading to a greater demand for it.
  2. There is a national shortage of psychiatrists.
  3. Fewer psychiatrists want to go to small towns to practice medicine now-a-days, so rural and underserved areas don’t have many other options.
  4. It’s easier to hire telepsychiatrists than in-person psychiatrists.
  5. Telepsychiatry is the best solution to provide care for people over a large area.
  6. Most patients are already comfortable with virtual healthcare options.
  7. Patients are becoming more and more comfortable with telemedicine every day.
  8. Technology is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives, so it’s only natural that it’s intersecting with healthcare.
  9. Telemedicine technology becomes more intuitive every year.
  10. Millennials and Generation Z are more comfortable with technology, so they may actually prefer virtual care options rather than in-person care.
  11. Telehealth usage is growing faster than other types of care.
  12. There are already significantly more telepsychiatry companies today than the year we were founded (2013).
  13. Many medical schools have a telepsychiatry program, so young doctors are learning this right out of the gate.
  14. Telehealth legislation is becoming more permissive.
  15. Getting psychiatrists licensed in multiple states has become easier, allowing them to practice in several areas.
  16. States are developing more grants specifically designed for healthcare organizations to invest in telemedicine programs.
  17. People are actively working on ways to make direct-to-consumer telepsychiatry a real model for delivering mental healthcare.

Ten years ago, telepsychiatry barely existed. Now, it’s a movement. If telepsychiatry continues to grow this rapidly, who knows where we’ll be ten years from now?

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless hospitals and community health organizations across the country add telepsychiatry to their list of services. We believe everyone should have access to compassionate mental health care, and we have made it our mission to find innovative, affordable ways of making this possible!

The Real Reason Your Patients Won’t Love Telepsychiatry

One of the biggest concerns people have about implementing telepsychiatry is: Will my patients like it?

It’s an understandable concern and a natural thought process. With any new change, there are obstacles and challenges to overcome. If you care about your patients as much as we care about ours, you want the best for them. For many, telepsychiatry seems like a great solution, but one of the biggest reasons they don’t move forward with it is concern about how patients will respond to it.

In 2018, Iris Telehealth performed more than 200,000 patient telepsychiatry visits. We partner with dozens of healthcare organizations around the United States to help bring telepsychiatry to their patients. The statistics regarding patient interest in and satisfaction with telemedicine speak for themselves:

  • 74 percent of patients say they are open to a virtual visit.
  • 19 percent of patients have already conducted a virtual encounter.
  • Over 95 percent of our patients are satisfied with our telepsychiatry.

What holds patients back from virtual healthcare

When you ask, “Will my patients like telepsychiatry?” what you’re really asking is, “Will they be afraid of it?”

At the end of the day, fear is what really makes people opposed to change. It’s only natural that something people aren’t familiar with might cause them to be afraid to try it. Admittedly, sometimes people are wary of telepsychiatry because they don’t understand how it works. Fear of the unknown can play a big role in whether or not patients are comfortable with telepsychiatry.

When Christopher Columbus sailed across the ocean, people actually feared he would fall off the edge of the earth. Studies show that more than 70 percent of startups fail, which is why some people fear taking entrepreneurial strides. Even being afraid of the dark can correlate to fearing the unknown. This kind of uncertainty is common among many people, particularly those who might struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety.

But the truth is, the fear of telepsychiatry is easy to overcome.

Consider how often you use technology. You’re probably reading this on your phone or your laptop, and when you’re done, you might watch a movie on Netflix or Facetime a family member. In the past decade, technology has rapidly become a part of everything we do, and we have learned that it’s not always something to fear. In fact, many would argue it enriches our lives by allowing us to consume more information, connect with people far away from us, and have more access to… well, everything at the touch of our fingers.

Rest assured, we’ve worked with dozens of healthcare organizations whose patients love telepsychiatry. If any of your patients don’t love telepsych, it will be a small number who simply don’t understand how it works. However, there are easy ways to help them see the value in it rather than seeing the fear.

How to get patients on board with Telepsych

Our partners have several tried and true methods to help patients overcome any fear associated with telepsychiatry and become as excited about it as you are:

Create educational materials

Some healthcare organizations find it valuable to have educational materials in their waiting rooms to teach patients about telepsychiatry. This can be as simple as trifold brochures or one-pagers not only explaining how it works, but also why it’s a great option.

Have a conversation with them about what it is

If you’re speaking with a patient who is hesitant about telepsychiatry, ask them how often they use FaceTime or Skype. If they’ve used either of these before, take the time to remind them that telepsychiatry is just like video-chatting with a friend or family member. The only difference is that their doctor is on the other end.

Let other patients convince them

If you decide to create educational materials for your waiting room, include patient testimonials about how they loved telepsychiatry. Instead of hearing about it from you, they can learn about it from other people who have walked in their shoes before.

Introduce them to their telepsychiatrist

When healthcare organizations partner with us, we offer to create an introductory piece of marketing material about their doctor. This includes a photo of the doctor, as well as an article about their life, how long they’ve been a doctor, and some fun facts about them. This humanizes the process and makes it less scary for any patients who have hesitations.

Your patients will love Telepsych

You might have a handful of patients who won’t love the idea of telepsychiatry at first, but now you know that there are simple methods to remind them it’s not as scary as they might think. Our partners have found that in the end, their patients love using telepsychiatry. In fact, our telepsychiatrists have a 97 percent satisfaction rate!

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless hospitals and community health organizations across the country add telepsychiatry to their list of services. We believe everyone should have access to compassionate mental health care, and we have made it our mission to find innovative, affordable ways of making this possible!

Ask Telepsych Companies These Questions Before Working With Them

Telepsychiatry… we know it can be daunting.

At the end of the day, you just want to do what’s best for your patients without breaking the bank. And there are a lot of options out there, which you’d think would be a good thing – but sometimes, more options can lead to more confusion.

Selecting a telepsychiatry company to work with is an important decision. It carries a lot of weight for the future of your organization.

We’ve heard too many horror stories of people pursuing a partnership with a telepsychiatry company that just wasn’t the right fit – and thousands of dollars were wasted because of it. We want to help you avoid that mistake.

One way to avoid selecting the wrong company is by asking them the following eight questions before signing any contracts:

1. Are your providers salaried employees or 1099 contractors?

This is easily the most important question to ask a telepsychiatry company you might work with. Too often, this question is overlooked or brushed off. Telepsychiatry companies will say they have thousands of providers in their network, but what does that really mean? Typically, it means they either have a lot of resumes to finish reading or they have a lot of contracted doctors. Ultimately, telepsychiatry companies with full-time, salaried doctors face significantly less turnover. On top of that, it typically means they cover all benefits – including malpractice insurance, health insurance, PTO, and CME credits. Don’t overlook this question when you speak with a potential telepsychiatry partner.

2. Will you force us to use your software?

We believe telepsychiatry organizations should integrate into your existing systems – whether it’s paper records, AllScripts, Epic, or some other EMR – rather than force you to use theirs. Consider how much simpler it will make the entire process of development, implementation, and integration. In our experience, the entire process is much more likely to be successful when telepsychiatry companies integrate into the EMRs that their partners are already using.

3. Will you use current technology I have?

There’s really no reason a telepsychiatry company should be encouraging you to make expensive technology purchases in order to start a telemedicine program. It’s relatively easy to use technology that you already have – whether it’s telemedicine equipment from a prior partnership, or even a laptop in a spare closet! If you don’t have any technology that can be salvaged for your telepsychiatry set-up, then the telepsychiatry company should make recommendations based on your price range.

4. Will you perform an on-site implementation, and what will it entail?

Many organizations will only perform virtual implementations, however, there is a lot of value in having an on-site implementation, even if the industry standard is to charge a flat rate for implementation. Regardless, you should find out if they will perform on-site implementation, what the cost is, and what it entails. This way, you can better explore your options. A telepsychiatry department is only as successful as its implementation.

5. Will I get to select the provider I work with?

We’re always shocked by the amount of telepsychiatry companies who simply form a partnership with a clinic or hospital and simply say, “Here’s your provider,” without much more of a conversation. As a decision-maker in this space, you know it’s wildly important to find a provider who is the right clinical and cultural fit for your organization – regardless of whether they are on-site or virtual providers. Be sure to ask any telepsychiatry company you are considering if you will be able to interview the provider they match with your organization.

6. Will your team manage licensing and credentialing (including the cost)?

Licensing and credentialing is one of the most important pieces of implementing a telemedicine program in a timely manner. Does your prospective telepsychiatry partner take care of that for you, or will you be expected to make that happen? This may affect your choice to pursue a partnership with a certain organization. It takes time and money to complete all licensing and credentialing for a new provider, and that might be time and money you just don’t have.

7. Will you provide on-site training?

This speaks to what kind of partner this telepsychiatry company will be. Will they come alongside you and help you get buy-in from your staff, or will they leave you to figure that out on your own? On-site training can be a tremendous asset to your current team, as you can familiarize all team members on the telemedicine protocols.

8. Will you provide educational materials for patients?

Often, one of the biggest fears for anyone considering implementing a telepsychiatry program is that the patients will hate it. We can tell you with great confidence that’s far from true, but regardless – it’s important to find out if your telepsychiatry partner will help you educate your patients on the value of telepsychiatry. For example, in the past, we have created one-pagers and brochures upon request, sharing details with patients about their telepsychiatry provider. This way, the patients can get to know their provider before entering into their appointments.

Finding the Right Telepsychiatry Partner

At the end of the day, finding the right telepsychiatry partner is just like finding the right telepsychiatry provider. It’s all about finding the right clinical and cultural fit for your organization, and only you know exactly what that is. However, we hope these questions point you in the right direction as you begin to figure out who the right telepsychiatry partner is for you.

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless hospitals and community health organizations across the country add telepsychiatry to their list of services. We believe everyone should have access to compassionate mental health care, and we have made it our mission to find innovative, affordable ways of making this possible!

Stop Overcomplicating Telemedicine Technology

Is technology the biggest hurdle in starting your telemedicine program?

You’re not alone. I can’t tell you how many people at conferences have confided that they’re trying to start a telemedicine program but still need to figure out the technology component. It baffles me because here’s the thing: Technology should be the easiest part of starting your telemedicine program.

But, you ask, who are we to tell you that technology is the easiest part of implementing telemedicine?

Disclaimer: we are not a technology company

Let me preface by saying that we are not a technology company; there will be no sales pitch in this post.

We are a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of mental health prescribers. We partner with health systems nationwide to serve as an all-encompassing staffing solution to better serve their mental health patient populations.

Since our founding in 2013, we have gained a positive reputation among our partners for outstanding customer service. That service includes technology assessment and recommendations.

If our partner organization already has telemedicine technology from a prior attempt to create a telehealth program, we will use it. Otherwise, we make technology recommendations for our partners based on their budget and overall needs.

We are committed to being technology neutral because we believe that’s how we are able to deliver the best care to our partners’ patients.

That said, we have worked with all different types of technology – from the most complex, intuitive, lifelike, robotic cameras to clunky, old monitors. And we can tell you with certainty: no matter what tech you decide to use, it will work.

We know firsthand how telemedicine can transform the way you deliver healthcare, so let’s pull back the curtain and reveal some of our secrets when it comes to telemedicine technology.

Because even if you’re not our partner, we want you to succeed.

Our biggest technology secret revealed

One of our biggest, longest-standing clients is a large hospital with more than a dozen sites. We do ER and med/surg coverage for them, and they have expanded their telepsychiatry department significantly in our time together.

You want to know the technology they use?

A $1000 tablet. That’s it.

I hope I just blew your mind. Every time I share that with people at conferences or trade shows, they’re adequately shocked; then, they want to know how and why it works.

Here are a few reasons this simple approach is effective:

  • It’s HIPAA-compliant as long as you use the right software.
  • It’s easy to fix, easy to charge, and easy to use regardless of how tech savvy you are.
  • It’s mobile and easy to move around, if needed.
  • It allows for clear, quality video to go through to the provider.
  • It’s familiar. For patients, it’s just like Facetiming. They can hold the tablet, or it can remain on a cart that moves from room to room.

There are loads of options out there when it comes to telemedicine technology, and the last thing I’m saying is that this is a solution for everyone. However, I do think simplifying your approach to technology will help make your telemedicine program more effective in the long run.

Here’s why you’re overcomplicating technology

While telemedicine has been going on for longer than we like to believe (since the 70s, to be exact), it’s seen a huge boom in the past decade. Telemedicine is an emerging field and, of course, that means there are a lot of unknowns. When you hear the word “telemedicine,” you probably think of a million different things – like telepsych, tele-stroke, and tele-ER. You might even wonder how reimbursement and billing work. And your mind probably goes straight to HIPAA when you start to consider technology.

There’s still a lot to be learned when it comes to best practices in telemedicine, and that’s one reason you might be overcomplicating technology.

But here’s the real reason you’re making it more complicated than it needs to be: Telemedicine technology companies are coming out with shiny new products because they don’t want you to know how simple it can actually be.

Tech companies are creating computers, robots, software, and so forth to make it seem like you must use their technology to be up to code. The good news is, as we’ve just said, that’s far from the truth.

Stop letting technology hold you back

Now you know that you can simplify your technological approach to telemedicine and make it easier to implement your program. If technology was what was holding you back before, I hope that’s changed now. Like I said – it should be the simplest part of starting your telemedicine program. And now, you understand why!

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless hospitals and community health organizations across the country add telepsychiatry to their list of services. We believe everyone should have access to compassionate mental health care, and we have made it our mission to find innovative, affordable ways of making this possible!

How Diet and Exercise Affect Your Mental Health

Mental health is an essential component of a person’s overall well-being and can be improved through proper nutrition and regular exercise. In this blog, we explore the role diet and exercise play in a person’s life, the benefits of a holistic approach to care, and how telehealth can open up access to mental health care in your community.

Table of Contents
The role of a healthy diet on mental health
How exercise affects mental health
Benefits of holistic care

The role of a healthy diet on mental health

Nutrition plays an essential part in mental health. In fact, a study published in BMC Medicine revealed that diets centered around fresh and whole foods that are rich in nutrients, have the potential to improve depressive symptoms. This data, by BMC Medicine, was found after participants with depression received nutrition counseling and adhered to a healthy diet for a duration of 12 weeks.

While the role nutrition plays in our mental health is significant, not everyone has the same access to healthy food. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the U.S. are food insecure, which is recognized as a social determinant of health due to its association with poor health outcomes. When access to nutritious food is limited, it directly impacts the well-being of individuals and can exacerbate health disparities. It also increases the risk of developing mental health conditions and other chronic diseases.

For organizations who see patients dealing with food insecurity, finding ways to connect your patients with resources in their community can be a game changer. For example, community resources like food banks can serve as a great tool for patients struggling to find healthy food sources. Additionally, having a team of mental health professionals can also be a benefit to your patients.

For example , licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) can serve as an essential resource for those facing food insecurity. With their expertise in mental health and social welfare, they can address and offer tailored care to meet the needs of each patient. By guiding patients through the application process for government or community aid, referring them to pantries and local soup kitchens in the community, and providing ongoing emotional support to address any stress and anxiety related to food insecurity, LCSWs can provide quality care to your patients.

While healthy diets are helpful in maintaining wellness, physical health matters too. Let’s take a look at how exercise can help with overall wellbeing.

How exercise affects mental health

Regular exercise has been shown to have numerous benefits for mental health. According to a study from The Lancet Psychiatry, a person has 3.4 poor mental health days per month. Researchers found that on average, among those who exercise, the number of poor mental health days dropped by more than 40%.

Engaging in physical activity can serve as a powerful coping mechanism and stress management tool. It provides an outlet for emotional release, improves self-esteem and body image, and promotes a sense of accomplishment. According to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, participating in physical activities, whether it’s walking, jogging, or practicing yoga, can help individuals combat negative thoughts, reduce rumination, and enhance their overall mental resilience.

By connecting your community with behavioral health specialists, your patients can access expertise and assistance with adopting regular exercise into their daily lives.

Benefits of holistic care

A holistic approach to care looks at the person’s mental health and physical health. Integrating a holistic approach into your organization can be a game-changer for your patients and providers. Your patients get holistic care that looks at the full picture of their health, and your providers benefit from the expertise of a behavioral health specialist.

For organizations without access to behavioral health professionals locally, telehealth can open up access to a wide range of provider types, including MDs, PMHNPs, and LCSWs. These providers can work with your on-site team to provide holistic care to your patients. For example, If there’s a provider on-site who is working with the patient on their physical health, a virtual provider can help them on the behavioral health side to make the biggest impact for that patient. Integrated care teams like these that promote a collaborative approach improve patient outcomes overall.

If you’d like to learn more about how Iris Telehealth can help increase access to behavioral health care in your community, contact us today.

Key Takeaways: ATA Annual Conference 2019

Every year, we attend the American Telemedicine Association Annual Conference. I attended this year for Iris Telehealth as the Clinical Operations and IT Manager. Technology in the telemedicine space is unique and evolving quickly, so I was intrigued to see what was new at the New Orleans ATA this year. After interacting with exhibitors and attending sessions, I gained a variety of takeaways from this annual meeting.

Understanding Hardware and Software in Telemedicine

We don’t build or sell software or hardware but many are concerned about these components of service delivery. There is a convergence and overlapping of features and functionalities as companies I saw last year continue to grow and evolve their products. Out of this convergence, I see two opportunities:

  1. Don’t forget the little guys: The 800-pound gorillas of the telehealth technology space continue to evolve their isolated ecosystems and seem to have little or no interest in interoperability with others in the space. It’s not surprising they might choose to dominate and lock out other competitors, but it is short-sighted as many of their solutions are cost-prohibitive or can’t be broken into small enough services to reach small and underserved markets. This could leave them vulnerable to more agile and cost-effective solutions.
  2. Consolidations provide the best of both worlds: I also expect that there are consolidations coming. Many of the mid-sized video and EMR companies are creating solutions that solve the same (or overlapping) issues but tend to be ‘friendlier’ and more interoperable than the large ‘one-stop shops’ and will eventually make the larger players modify their model or risk being completely undermined.

Smart Connected Medical Tools are Here to Stay

I was impressed with the number of remote diagnostic tools that are coming to market. There are some very ambitious products including teledentistry, apps for your phone to get and submit vitals to doctors, and internet-connected stethoscopes and the like to assist doctors in assessment and tracking.

The ingenuity and creativity shine at these conferences particularly in the direct-to-consumer space. It will be exciting to see how that component of this space grows in the coming years, particularly as legislation evolves.

Gaps In Care

Standing in our booth, fielding questions and handing out telemedicine t-shirts, I noted a few trends.  I think largely because of how insurance and reimbursement work, I spoke to a number of people who were looking for help with geriatric populations. It seems like there is a painful gap in that space right now.

I also spoke to a number of international travelers, some doctors, some visionaries, who are looking to bring some of the telemedicine advancements being made in the US to their countries. I had a long conversation with a lovely psychiatrist from Argentina where they have the same challenge we do: not enough psychiatrists and none in rural and remote areas. She was intrigued at how we are helping solve that problem particularly in its technical simplicity.

Overall the ATA conference seemed a bit smaller than last year in Chicago and was not without its controversies. The city and the weather were very hospitable and I left New Orleans with the same thought I had the year before – the future is bright for advances in care via telemedicine.

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless hospitals and community health organizations across the country add telepsychiatry to their list of services. We believe everyone should have access to compassionate mental health care, and we have made it our mission to find innovative, affordable ways of making this possible!

A Guide to Finding a Telemedicine Provider

How Telepsych can work even if you use paper records

You’ve heard about this cool, new thing called telepsychiatry and you’d love to give it a shot, but there is one thing standing in your way… You still use paper records.

Here’s the thing: You’re not alone! According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMMS), 6 percent of hospitals still use paper records. With many hospitals struggling to just break even, just thinking about the cost of an electronic health record (EHR) is enough reason to avoid implementation.

So, we get it. EHRs, while convenient, cost money…and a lot of it. Plus, they require a lot of time between transitioning records over and training staff. It can be hard to start new things when your current systems are already working just fine, thank you very much!

Did you know that paper records and telemedicine aren’t mutually exclusive?

The truth is, with the right tools and know-how, the two can work together seamlessly. Who would’ve thought?

How can you be sure we’re not making this up? Why should you trust us?

We’re a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners in the business and we partner with numerous hospitals and clinics throughout the nation to connect their patients to excellent providers.

Telepsychiatry is an innovative practice in healthcare where psychiatric providers use technology, or telemedicine, to deliver psychiatric care to patients, typically via videoconferencing. It improves patient access to standard psychiatric services, like psychiatric assessment and medication management.

Telepsychiatry equips health systems across the nation with the tools to provide high quality, accessible and affordable mental healthcare to their patients. We have an ever-increasing demand for mental healthcare in the United States, which is directly affected by our national shortage of psychiatric providers. Telemedicine is a solution that is transforming the way care is delivered. It’s allowing hospitals and health clinics in rural and underserved areas to recruit excellent providers and improve patient care while reducing or maintaining costs.

We actively work with health systems that still use paper records rather than electronic health records. And, surprisingly enough, it works! Let us give you the low-down.

Integrating paper records and Telepsychiatry

Our company’s founding mission is that rural and underserved communities deserve the same access to mental health care as the rest of the country. Many telemedicine organizations allow paper records to be a barrier of entry by refusing to find a way to integrate with health systems that still use them. We found a way — because we fundamentally believe that something as common as paper records shouldn’t stop people from receiving the care they deserve.

We work with a handful of health systems that still use paper records for their EHR, and through a trial-and-error process, we learned what works and what doesn’t.

From our partners’ collective experiences, we’ve found the solution to integrating an off-site doctor into your health system, while also having them use paper records, is actually pretty simple.

Typically, we digitize all necessary forms so our psychiatrists can complete them in an approved, automated fashion mirroring a traditional EHR. They will sign and fax the forms to the system so they can be printed and placed in the nurse’s chart. Any other paper forms for patient evaluations, follow ups, and billing codes can also be integrated into our system and completed by our doctors.

Our partners have found that this system may take time to get used to, but is the most efficient workflow to ensure paperwork is properly documented – and trust us, we’ve tried a lot!

Integrating paper records and Telepsychiatry

It’s crucial to have the full support and buy-in of your on-site staff for the success of any telepsychiatry program. But this is particularly important when it comes to integrating a psychiatrist into a system that utilizes paper records because it requires clear communication among all staff members, including those off-site.

Our partners have found that a few simple steps make the process of getting your staff on board much easier — and it all comes down to making them feel valued. Buy-in is easier to foster when your people feel personally involved. Below are a few of the ways we encourage our partners, and you, to train on-site staff to ensure integration is seamless:

1. Develop a clear workflow

This seems simple, but it’s easily one of the most important components. Without a clear workflow that everyone can understand, chaos can, and will, ensue. In one of our largest hospital system partners, they have flyers hanging up at the nurses’ stations with a detailed workflow for telepsychiatry consults – starting with how to schedule one and outlining each step thereafter. This way, it stays top-of-mind and is readily accessible to anyone who forgets a step in the process.

2. Host several staff training workshops

Our partners have found that hosting not just one, but a handful of staff training workshops before, during, and after implementation makes a huge difference in the initial success of their telepsychiatry program. This not only keeps your existing staff on their toes but also allows for new staff to be trained.

3. Have your provider start on-site

Not all of our providers start on-site. However, our partners have found that when there are a lot of moving parts (like implementing a workflow with paper records and telepsychiatry), it makes everyone feel more comfortable and confident in using the telepsych service. Since your staff will be assisting the telepsychiatrist with documentation, an on-site start helps foster a good working relationship with your telepsychiatrist.

4. Continue to ask for feedback from your staff

Telepsychiatry is a great solution to expanding your existing care team and psychiatric services — but it’s still an adjustment for your staff. It’s important to make your team feel valued during times of change so they know you recognize that adjustments aren’t always easy. Our partners make sure their nurses and other on-site staff know our door is always open for constructive feedback when it comes to improving the workflow and growing our telepsychiatry partnership.

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Is Telepsychiatry right for you as a provider?

When it comes to telepsychiatry, I’ve seen it all. I know telepsychiatry is a mutually beneficial innovation: it allows psychiatric providers to work from the comfort of their own home and health systems to find the best psychiatric providers for their patients

You might be wondering who I am…my name is Marcella Nichols, and I’ve been the Recruiting Coordinator for Iris Telehealth for almost a year now. I have an M.S. in Clinical Psychology and this, combined with my professional certification in human resources, gives me a unique advantage, as I interact with the psychiatrists and psychiatric advanced practice nurse practitioners who apply to work with us.

Because I interact with psychiatric providers on a daily basis, I thought I could provide some insight into what our telepsychiatry positions entail and answer some frequently asked questions. I wanted to share why I’m passionate about telepsychiatry, and why Iris Telehealth has earned a reputation as one of the best companies to work with/be apart of.

On a personal note, I volunteered to write a blog post because I enjoy writing and as a Yelp Elite, I thoroughly enjoy sharing all the details of an awesome business. Some may consider this a 5-star review…and they’re not wrong!

Why Telepsychiatry is the perfect opportunity for you

Telepsychiatry provides a different type of work environment for psychiatric providers. Picture this: you start your day in your own home office, in a space that feels and looks professional. A space that is well-lit, and free of distractions. You sign in to your telepsychiatry interface, and you’re off to work. No time wasted commuting to a clinic or hospital in your car, the subway, or the bus. Technology allows you to start your day by simply walking into your home office, which is one of the biggest perks. Commuting = time…time away from your family and time away from your patients. If you’re someone who hates to commute, telepsychiatry may be for you!

At Iris Telehealth, the majority of our partners are outpatient clinics in a community mental health setting. Telepsychiatry gives these clinics access to providers they might not otherwise be able to hire since it’s difficult enough to recruit psychiatric prescribers due to provider shortages, let alone when located in a rural area! It allows for some of the most underserved and disenfranchised communities to receive amazing psychiatric care and services. Something we don’t talk about enough is how incredibly rewarding it is for you, the provider, to have the ability to serve these patients – the patients you are so passionate about helping.  Hence, telepsychiatry is a phenomenal solution. For us, there is nothing more rewarding than building lasting relationships with our partners and our providers. We strive to provide you with the security and stability of a long term placement by matching you with the best partner for your availability, skills and experience, and clinical preferences.

How to do Telepsych (even if you’re not a techie)

Don’t worry if you’re not a technology expert, telepsychiatry is actually simple to use. If you can use a computer, and have a solid Internet connection, you can do telepsychiatry! We also provide 24/7 technical support, so you have experts at hand if there’s ever an issue. As a Recruiting Coordinator, I’ve experienced my own IT hiccups along the way. My problems were solved almost instantly by our amazing IT specialists. For example, when my RingCentral line was not allowing me to make outgoing calls, our tech team was able to sort out the update quickly, so I didn’t miss an opportunity to make a reference call (and as a result, proceed with a candidate like you)!

The benefits of working remotely

Telepsychiatry offers flexibility in terms of hours and commuting, providing an escape from the confines and limitations of a traditional work environment. We handle the licensing and credentialing process in any state in the U.S., so you can work from anywhere (as long as your current residence is located in the USA or Puerto Rico).

As a result, time zones can work to your advantage. Perhaps you are someone who enjoys having your mornings free to run errands, working out at the gym, or spending time with your family. You have the flexibility to start your day later, or even earlier at 6:00 or 7:00 AM, in your current time zone.  Wish you could end your day at 3:00 PM so you can pick up your kids from school? Telepsychiatry makes that dream a reality and gives you the freedom to choose your own schedule.

Being part of the team

You might be working remotely, but you’re still part of the team. Our clinics recognize our telepsychiatry providers as an important piece of the puzzle and an integral part of their care team. They will recognize, and include you, as a provider as much as possible.

At Iris, we want you to feel like you have a work family. We have a Medical Director who you collaborate with remotely. He is your go-to resource, and you will meet with him at least once a quarter. Some of our clinics have more than one Iris provider, so you can make connections with fellow Iris team members as well as the clinic’s onsite staff. Communication is important, and this is compounded when you are working virtually. Since you are not physically there in the room with the patient, it’s important to be able to rely and convey what is needed to those who are involved on site. We help both you and the onsite staff to foster strong relationships built on a foundation of open and honest communication. As an Iris provider, you’re never alone, even though you might be far away – you have the support of dedicated Iris staff as well as the clinic’s team.

I want to work for Iris! Where can I apply?

We are always looking to expand our medical group with talented, passionate providers! Here’s a crazy statistic – we have hundreds of providers apply to work with us every week, and we only extend formal offers to six percent of applicants. If you consider yourself a self-starter, who is great at communicating and passionate about your work, we want to hear from you!  We are searching for providers who are friendly, enjoy learning, and are flexible and adaptable.

You can find us on Indeed.com here. You can also apply directly on our website here. Also, you may email your resume/CV directly to talent@iristelehealth.com in either a Word Doc or PDF format (our system does not support opening resumes sent through Apple pages/note software).  On your resume, please ensure that it lists your most current email address.

If you apply through Indeed.com, your personal email address does not appear unless it is listed so it’s helpful to include your cell phone number. We appreciate your interest in working with us, and want to make sure that we are able to reach out to you!

About Iris Telehealth

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry provider organization made up of the highest quality psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Our mission is to provide underserved communities with access to the best mental health specialists and prescribers. We are owned and operated by doctors who understand what patients need and have earned a reputation for providing outstanding customer service. Iris values building strong professional relationships with our partners and their staff. We are dedicated to understanding your organization’s needs and operational goals because we recognize that your success is critical to our own.

Iris Telehealth has helped countless hospitals and community health organizations across the country add telepsychiatry to their list of services. We believe everyone should have access to compassionate mental health care, and we have made it our mission to find innovative, affordable ways of making this possible!

Immersion Into Iris: An IT Perspective

The Importance of Technology

I’m a techie. I’ve worked for decades with all types of companies – from large internet service providers to small technical start-ups. I am completely enamored with the idea that technology can help people. I mean really help people, not just get them access to their social media fix or the latest Kardashian news. It’s hard to feel that sense of connecting technology to people when you spend all day updating software, cleaning out computer viruses, or fixing broken internet connectivity. Even when I had the opportunity to work directly with clients building solutions for their unique business challenges, I was often still one step removed from where the rubber meets the road (one of my favorite clients was a major community food bank).

One account I worked with had some extraordinary people working to help identify and treat concussion victims. The concept was cutting-edge and the technology was mesmerizing. I had an opportunity to assist them with all things technology from the time they built the building to seeing their first screenings. One of the PhD’s who was working there moved home and took a position with a local Austin company called Iris Telehealth whose mission was simple: provide desperately needed psychiatric services to populations who otherwise would get no, or severely delayed, treatments. This gifted PhD and I had worked closely together at the concussion clinic and since Iris was growing quickly and needed good talent, she asked if I might be interested.

The American Psychiatric Crisis

Thoughts of hi-tech video conference rooms and mobile crisis vans to help victims of traumatic situations swam in my mind. I envisioned the application of a wide variety of technologies to really make a difference for the people that are most in need. I wanted to get into a small, fast-growing company creating huge inroads for reaching the underserved of the American psychiatric crisis. There are just too many people that need help and not enough psychiatrists to fill the need, particularly in rural areas.

Joining Iris Telehealth

I did join the Iris team. And before I did, we vetted each other thoroughly. But I didn’t join for the reasons I thought I would. It didn’t take long to learn that it’s not about the technology at all. Sure, Iris is using encrypted video conferencing to connect remote clinicians and patients, but there is no magic technical gizmo or fancy expensive evaluation hardware. What I discovered is that the real magic is finding the very best psychiatric clinicians and navigating the sea of red tape required for them to practice in any given state or facility.

What Iris does extraordinarily well is hire exceptional clinicians and let them practice in an environment where they can comfortably and efficiently reach patients while we facilitate credentialing and scheduling. We pave the road for services. We carefully match clinicians and facilities and we stay involved in those relationships to make sure everyone is happy.

I still get to explore technologies and technical avenues to improve what we do. There is no blueprint that we can use to guide many of our decisions. We just stick to our core values and build a better way. I spent two days last week facilitating telepsychiatry consultations in one of our larger hospital systems – now I’m where the rubber meets the road, and it’s remarkable.

Ted Bryant is the Clinical Operations and IT Manager for Iris Telehealth.

The Iris Spotlight:
Meet Katherine Dreyfuss

Part of the reason Iris Telehealth has been able to grow so much since it was founded in 2013 is because of the amazing employees who work relentlessly to dominate their jobs. So we figured it was time for us to spotlight them and give you a behind-the-scenes look at our staff! One of those fabulous employees is Katherine Dreyfuss, an Account Executive who is affectionately called Kiki in the office. She’s a major yogi, an incredible chef (Asian food is her specialty), and has an obsession with English Bulldogs. But that’s just the beginning of her awesomeness.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about what you do for Iris Telehealth?

A: My job is to reach out to different health systems in California and Arizona to determine how we might best be able to help them with their psychiatry needs.

Q: And what’s your favorite part of the job?

A: I have a lot of favorite parts. But my most favorite part is kind of getting to know the areas and figuring out how we can best make a difference. There are a lot of groups in rural or underserved areas where we’re able to make a difference and I think that’s the most exciting part — finding out the impact we can make.

Q: What do you say to people who might be skeptical of how awesome telepsychiatry can be?

A: That’s a great question! It actually surprises me how open the patients are to telepsychiatry because oftentimes you might find that it’s easier to open up to a stranger who’s not sitting in the same room as you. The computer screen kind of serves as a buffer and often allows patients to open up even more about what’s going on. More than anything, I try to relay that the clinician is someone who’s dedicated to helping this patient whether it be in person or via video conference. It’s all real time and all effectively helping the patient overcome whatever they’re facing.

Q: You’ve also encountered people who’ve used telepsych services from other companies. Why do you think Iris is the best telepsych company out there to work with?

A: Iris in particular is the best company to work with because we focus on providing a clinician to each health system we partner with that will be a good cultural and clinical fit. The clinician is in it for the long haul, which means that they develop a good relationship with the health system’s patients and staff. It’s a win-win for everyone involved because it provides long-term relationships and continuity of care, which we find to be extremely important.

Q: What are some of the things you’ve learned after working for Iris for almost one year?

A: What I’ve learned is… A LOT. I’ve learned that there is a lot of stigma against mental health in general, and therefore there is stigma against telepsychiatry. But there are so many different ways to make a difference when it comes to mental health and telepsych is only one way. So it’s been pretty powerful to be a part of spearheading an innovative way to treat mental illness. And I’ve been able to learn a lot through that.