Tag: Best Practices

If you’re looking to hire a telepsychiatry provider but don’t know where to begin, we’ve got you covered. At Iris Telehealth, we’ve learned how to identify the qualities that make (and don’t make) a great telepsychiatry provider.

Whether you’re optimizing your behavioral health program or bringing in someone to help with the growing demand for high-quality mental healthcare, there are key considerations and questions you should be asking.

Before you post the job description

Getting started requires a deep understanding of your existing clinical workflows and how a telepsychiatry provider will integrate into your clinical team. By identifying potential roadblocks, you’ll be better prepared for future issues that, inevitably, will arise.

Key questions to consider before starting the hiring process:

Location

• Will your telepsychiatry provider be completely remote, or will they occasionally come on-site? Location is a key consideration as it can affect workflows, clinical organization, and recruiting efforts.

Integration

• How will your existing clinic workflows develop to include a telepsychiatry provider?
• How will the patient’s experience change?
• How will your current staff’s roles and responsibilities change?

Communication

• How will you ensure open communication between your telepsychiatry team and your existing care team?
• Will your telepsychiatry provider join regular care team meetings?
• Will you set up a daily/weekly huddle with your on-site team and your telepsychiatry provider?

Training

• Will you provide training for everyone to learn telepsychiatry workflow?
• Who will develop and deliver this training?

Taking the time to consider these questions will help you find the right provider for your organization.

What makes a great telepsychiatry provider?

It’s important to note that not every excellent doctor is a fantastic telepsychiatry provider. We’ve learned it takes a strong and unique skillset to make a superb telepsychiatry provider.

Here are six key components that make up a great telepsychiatry provider:

They believe in patient-centered care. This belief can be said for any provider, right? Regardless of medical specialty or whether they’re on-site or remote, it is imperative. This approach to care is one of the most critical factors to ensure patient satisfaction and high-quality care. That’s why it’s essential to take the time to identify providers who put their patients first – but you don’t have to do it alone. At Iris, we provide a thoughtful job matching process that ensures every organization is matched with a high-quality provider who shares their values.

A team mindset is central to their work. It’s easy for remote employees to feel like they are a “team of one,” so it’s vital to foster a sense of inclusion between remote providers and on-site teams. Providers with a team-focused mindset tend to integrate well into existing clinical care teams and feel like they are genuinely a part of the team, no matter the physical distance. We all know it takes a village to care for our communities, and the better we work together, the better the outcome for our patients.

They’re self-motivated. It’s much easier to be held accountable when you’re surrounded by colleagues than it is when you’re potentially 3,000 miles away from them. Telepsychiatry doctors need to be self-motivated go-getters who can hold themselves accountable in their work. When it comes to having remote employees, there’s a level of trust that needs to be reached. That’s why at Iris we ensure organizations are set up to succeed, matching them with thoroughly vetted providers who become an indispensable part of the team.

They’re tech-savvy or willing to learn how to be tech-savvy. Telepsychiatry providers do best when they have an intermediate level of comfort with technology (and we’re lucky enough to have an IT team available to our providers 24/7). You want the technology to fade into the background during the patient’s experience.

They have a willingness to ask for help. Our providers are incredibly knowledgeable, but they also know when to ask for help. We’ve found that this is an important quality as you scale your team and continue to improve your program. Providers who don’t know how or when to ask for help may find themselves overburdened or stuck with an issue for days, especially since they can’t just walk down the hall for support. Instead, those willing to ask for help will increase productivity, improve quality of care, and foster a sense of camaraderie with on-site teams.

Independence is a part of their success. Your telepsychiatry providers will be interacting with patients all day, but they need to be independent workers. They’ll likely be in a home office, and independence is essential for anyone working from home. Their independence will help them remain motivated, but it is also just a good quality for anyone who will be alone for much of their job.

If you find a provider who encapsulates these characteristics, you and your organization will surely be set up for success.

How we know what works

Iris Telehealth is a telepsychiatry organization made up of only the highest quality behavioral health providers. We partner with health systems and clinics nationwide to bring mental healthcare to the communities that need it most.

We employ more than 200 psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners who are truly integrated as part of our team. We have a comprehensive and rigorous vetting process, and our tried and true method has given us the opportunity to work with the best in the business. Our partners and their patients also report a 97% average patient satisfaction rate with our services. With over 1.5 million patient encounters, we’ve found that our patients can seamlessly build relationships with their providers, even in a virtual environment.

If you need help finding the perfect match for your organization, contact us today.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become a mainstay for patients across the country. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) reports the following data:

• 28 studies found that more than 80% of patients indicated satisfaction with telehealth
• 75% of people expect virtual care to become a standard part of their care
• 85.52% report that telemedicine has made getting the care they need easier

With its growing popularity, it’s clear telehealth is a long-term solution and not just a temporary fix during the pandemic. As of 2017, the American Hospital Association cited 65% of hospitals had incorporated a telehealth solution. In 2021, about one-sixth of hospitals reported using telepsychiatry with a wide variation across states.

Still, healthcare organizations have a lot to consider when implementing virtual specialty solutions like telepsychiatry, and patient comfort should be a top priority. Keep reading to learn more about common telehealth misconceptions, why virtual works so well for psychiatry, and how to set patients and providers up for success in a virtual environment.

Common telehealth misconceptions

Despite the benefits and popularity of virtual care, misconceptions about the patient experience persist, and the telepsychiatry space is no different.

Here are four of the top misconceptions we encounter on a daily basis:

1. Patients don’t want to use telehealth: This is perhaps one of the biggest myths busted by the pandemic. Across the board, patients want to conveniently and quickly see a provider across any specialty in the most convenient way possible — and for many, that means telepsychiatry. Additionally, while some organizations might be concerned about their patients thinking telehealth is low quality, there is no current data to support this notion. As the ATA study reports, patient satisfaction is high, and patients expect telehealth to continue being a possibility for their care well into the future.
2. Elderly patients have trouble accessing technology: According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), technology usage among older adults skyrocketed during the pandemic. The AARP reports that 44% of older adults view tech more positively as a way to stay connected than they did before COVID-19. Additionally, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) reports that since the late 1990s, telepsychiatry has been an effective treatment for anxiety, dementia, and cognitive impairment within this population.
3. Populations with specialty concerns can’t get care: Many providers or organizations may think certain patients with specific concerns, like those experiencing paranoia, wouldn’t be interested in telepsychiatry. However, psychiatrists have seen that the ability to receive care from the comfort of their own homes has a more influential benefit for this population. Additionally, for deaf or hard-of-hearing patients, sharing the call with a sign-language interpreter has proven helpful and easy to manage virtually.
4. Reaching rural communities will be difficult: While there may be concerns about getting this population on board with telepsychiatry, patients have seen real benefits over the past few years. In rural or small-town communities where access to care is limited, stigma around getting mental health treatment still exists, and not having to go to a psychiatrist’s office is a bonus for many people who may be wary of community backlash. Additionally, according to the Pew Research Center, 93% of American adults use the internet, diluting concerns that populations in rural America can’t access virtual care. Additionally, the ability to get care from home, so they don’t have to drive long distances, is a huge plus for this population.

Why virtual works for psychiatry

The virtual environment of telepsychiatry allows providers to meet patients where they are. This virtual platform is compatible with the nature of a psychiatrist’s work, and dates back as far as the 1950’s.

Additionally, for individuals with anxiety who aren’t comfortable leaving their houses, telepsychiatry is an excellent fit. The same goes for lower income populations, or patients experiencing homelessness. For these patients, getting transportation can stand as a barrier, and it can also be more difficult for them to want to go into a busy medical office.

The vast majority of work that goes into psychiatry is talking and listening, and telepsychiatry is the perfect fit for this line of work. Educating patients, providers, and organizational leadership about the benefits of telepsychiatry can help solidify this modality as a long-term solution for your organization.

Increasing patient comfortability at healthcare organizations

While most patients will be comfortable utilizing virtual care platforms, some may be hesitant. In this case, communication is vital. Ask your patients where else they’ve used this modality in their lives. If they’ve been able to communicate and connect with their loved ones, chances are, they’ll like telepsychiatry as well.

You can also ask them what they want directly. For example, do they want to come into the clinic? Or, do they want to connect from home? Maybe there will be some patients who are interested in a hybrid option. The data you collect can help guide your organization’s decision when considering investing in a telepsychiatry solution.

Tips for providers using telepsych

While telepsychiatry is beneficial to patients, it also benefits providers. In the ATA report cited above, 94% of mental health professionals say they would like to continue offering telehealth services. That said, making sure your providers have the information they need will set them up for success as they embark on their virtual practice.

At Iris Telehealth, we ensure our providers have all the resources, tools, and support they need to do what they do best — take care of patients. We’re psychiatrist-owned and operated, and we know what providers need, like less paperwork, a supportive work/life balance, and even 24/7 tech support.

Here are five tips our providers have found useful:

1. Ensure a nice office set-up with a neutral background that’s not too distracting or too plain, like a blank white wall
2. To prevent headaches, encourage providers to be aware of any glare on their glasses or their computer screen
3. Investing in a noise-canceling microphone can help providers keep communication clear and cut back on distractions
4. To help ensure patient privacy, ask your providers to invest in a headset to ensure they’re the only ones who can hear what the patient is saying
5. Ensuring your provider’s cameras are set to a good gaze angle can help promote connection. When a provider’s camera is pointed down and they’re looking up (or if the camera is on a different monitor than the screen they’re looking at), it can look like they’re staring off into a different direction — providers should seek to position their cameras in a way that makes it appear as though they’re looking directly at their patient

By incorporating these tips, your providers will be set up for successful patient sessions that will make patients more comfortable with any virtual communications.

Get started on your behavioral health strategy

Here at Iris, we make sure your organization has everything it needs for a successful behavioral health program.

Contact us today to see if our telepsychiatry services would be a good match for your organization. Or, if you have more questions, check out our FAQ page.

While experts continue to seek effective treatment and vaccine options for the ongoing COVID-19 virus, mental health care providers face another side of this worldwide phenomenon: the unforeseen and widespread impacts on individual and community mental health and well-being.

From anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder to substance abuse and suicidal ideation, mental health disturbances ranging from mild to severe are on the rise, according to various studies, surveys, and data from experts and national health organizations.

The mental health services your clinic and providers offer are not just more in demand but also vital to a more holistic recovery from today’s public health crisis. The question then is, how do you reach and connect with these individuals in need of the mental healthcare you provide?

As the nature of individuals’ routines continues to shift and adapt to the current pandemic reality, so too have communication and marketing strategies shifted in response. Even with limited staffing, time, or financial resources for marketing, these six tips can help you get the word out to your patients about your availability for in-person and telehealth visits.

1. Purchase targeted Facebook ads

Perhaps now more than ever, social media is pervasive in the way people today are communicating and finding information, including about mental health. As a more specific strategy, targeted ads on Facebook, for example, enable your clinic to hone in on particular attributes or demographics, such as age range or location, of individuals who may benefit from your services.

2. Optimize website for SEO

In addition to social media, appearing in local web searches for mental health services (or any services that you provide) is key to successful marketing during the current pandemic. Optimizing your website for SEO can boost your search rankings and make it easier for people to find your clinic and providers when searching for your types of services.

This could include creating content relevant to your area if your team has the resources. It could also mean easier fixes such as updating meta descriptions and title tags, either manually or using plug-ins like Yoast SEO for WordPress.

3. Use text messaging-based marketing

Today, many EMR/EHR options enable text message or SMS-based communication with patients. This connectivity, often used for appointment or refill reminders, could also become a way to regularly check in with patients, letting them know your clinic and providers are available to them and their loved ones during these challenging times.

4. Send out an email newsletter

Another way to stay more directly connected with patients is to distribute an email newsletter. The length and types of content in this newsletter can vary based on your resources, but potential topics might include mental health tips, updates on the latest news from the CDC, or virtual events, such as group discussions or informational sessions, to keep people engaged.

This helps keep your clinic top of mind when your patients or readers of your newsletter, their family member, or friend experiences behavioral health problems, which is all the more likely as the pandemic continues. Services like MailChimp offer free and inexpensive solutions that are easy for businesses to set up for regular distribution, such as monthly or weekly.

5. Create original and engaging images

From memes and blog post images to direct mailers and brochures, many marketing options use strong visual components to leave a lasting impression of your clinic and providers with potential patients. Apps and web-based services like Canva offer inexpensive and user-friendly access to templates and other tools to help your clinic create eye-catching images for your digital and print marketing materials.

6. Distribute flyers

In addition to creating images, your team could also design and print flyers advertising your clinic and the services you provide. You can then distribute these one-page flyers to local businesses, schools, community centers, pediatricians’ offices, and other areas where patients may seek information about such services.

While this list might be a little overwhelming, try 1-2 tactics/week to see what garners the best results. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that your community knows the services you provide are available to them.

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll reported that nearly half (45%) of adults in the United States said that their mental health had been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over COVID-19 and the resulting quarantine. The CDC also recently reported that 25.5% of 18-24-year-olds surveyed had seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days.

Everyone has been affected, some more than the others.

These groups are often at the most significant risk of adverse emotional impact.

• High-risk individuals, including the elderly, immunocompromised, and those in group housing, are vulnerable to fear-induced anxiety.
• People with pre-existing physical or mental health diagnoses are at risk of increased stress-related consequences.
• Medical providers worry about becoming sick themselves or infecting family members. Potential shortages of equipment, long hours, and the emotional toll of constant decision making add to their pressure.

Many people face the stress of being quarantined, caring for children without the usual resources, and the threat of unemployment.

Emotional outcomes include anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia, fear, confusion, anger, and boredom. These stressors can lead to domestic violence, substance abuse, and if untreated, even death.

It is Time to Rethink Health Care Delivery

Telehealth can help manage the looming demands for mental health treatment. Traditionally, patients with physical complaints were sent to their primary care physicians. At the same time, those with suspected mental health issues were funneled to psychologists and psychiatrists.

The options for segregated care are more limited now. Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are frequently present, including diabetes, cardiopulmonary issues, and chronic pain.

In-person visits are limited, and accessing mental health services is even harder for people in lower socioeconomic classes.

COVID-19 Created the Impetus for Innovation

As healthcare professionals, we must push to make programs and resources available to meet this challenge.

The United States needs to move to implement a strategy to deal with the looming crisis in mental health. If we wait any longer, it will be too late.

In March, we all read about the shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), putting healthcare workers at risk and potentially preventing needed patient care.

Mental health is the next crisis. The shortages of mental health care are going to escalate problems and deaths of desperation.

What Needs to Happen Now?

• This crisis is allowing mental health providers to access a new paradigm through technology. To create a new definition of what it means for a patient to see their provider.
• A massive public information campaign must be quickly implemented to make it easier for people to find mental health services.
• Clinics and providers must leverage telehealth technology to provide innovative and compassionate solutions.

Our professional responsibility is to enhance psychological resilience in healthy people and provide the most vulnerable access to the mental health services they need.

Innovative clinics, such as Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc. (AMHC), are expanding telemedicine services to reach more clients and have seen a 20% increase in client visits since the pandemic started. Their experience was featured in a recent Maine news story.

Ellen Bemis, AMHC CEO, explained, “It can be a challenge to recruit psychiatrists to rural areas such as ours. By offering the service remotely, we help ensure our community members receive the support they need. Iris Telehealth has been an important part of our ability to adapt quickly to the changes that occurred with the pandemic.”

Post-Coronavirus Healthcare Will Include More Technology

Services need to become more available to all members of society, saving money and, more importantly, human suffering.

• Students to grandparents have become more familiar with the advantages of teleconference platforms during the pandemic.
• Primary care physicians see more patients. Telehealth makes it possible to consult with remotely located mental health providers, as needed.
• A truly bright spot in the pandemic gloom is the increased access to telepsychiatry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severe implications for individual and collective health and emotional well-being. Healthcare providers have a primary role in not only medical care but in supporting their community’s psychosocial needs and delivering mental health care to the public.

If you would like more information on how telepsychiatry can help meet your behavioral health needs, please reach out to us on our website. Be well.

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!