Most of the time, when you think about going to a health care provider you think of a face to face visit. Some of that is important if a physical exam is needed, and there is just something about the close human interaction between a patient and provider. However, the idea of absolutely having a face to face visit every time has changed. There are a lot of “virtual” visits going on today, where the interaction takes place over video or some form of telehealth. Your provider could be hundreds or thousands of miles away but still be able to give you care.
Are there telehealth visits for depression? Yes, there are. I remember back in 2011 when my dad was depressed – his psychiatrist worked locally and at an office hundreds of miles away. Some of his appointments were by telehealth video, and honestly at the time I found it appalling. Telehealth is not the same as a face to face interaction, and it seemed especially odd in psychiatry, where I feel that people who are depressed and/or mentally ill really need that human connection. Despite not liking the idea all that much, what I settled on was that telehealth services were better than no services. Unfortunately, that is the decision my dad had to face, and he chose to try something over nothing. I’m proud of him for that.
So, have my thoughts on telehealth changed since then? Yes and no. In an ideal world, everyone would get that face to face interaction. However, I do applaud the telehealth movement as a solution to help more people get access to providers. Telehealth no doubt helps us to reach a wider range of people, and it can be done from almost anywhere. There is also work being done to make telehealth interactions as realistic as possible, so I am excited to see where that leads. In all, if the choice is telehealth or nothing, I would likely choose telehealth.