Telemed vs Face-to-Face Visits
Telemed is a convenient and effective way to provide mental health services. It uses two-way, real time audio and video to connect practitioners and patients. Practitioners are then able to administer virtual mental and behavioral health care to people who may have difficulty getting to a physical office due to time or distance. It also saves the practitioners significant time and costs by reducing their need to travel to a physical office.
Telemed has grown rapidly in recent years. Research shows that the satisfaction rates of both practitioners and patients were the same or even higher when compared to face-to-face visits.
Simple, Straightforward Software Requirements
We make telemed as simple as possible for you as the practitioner. FasPsych will provide video teleconferencing software for your virtual telemed appointments, as well as 24/7 technical support for you.
Our Telepsychiatry Processes are HIPAA Compliant
The Security Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) governs how healthcare or covered entities electronically process, store, transmit, or receive medical records, claims, or remittances. Thus, it does not apply to paper-to-paper faxes, person-to-person telephone calls, video teleconferencing, and voicemai messages because they did not exist in electronic form before the transmission.
However, the Privacy Rule mandates the protection and privacy of all health information and is therefore applicable. This rule specifically defines the authorized uses and disclosures of “individually-identifiable” health information and sets the requirements for how protected health information (PHI), in any form or medium, should be controlled.
To safeguard against unauthorized disclosure of PHI, the video teleconferencing equipment, platforms, and web-based applications that FasPsych recommends for clinical services use 256-bit Advanced Encryption.
In addition, since video teleconferencing may involve the exchange of health information which is protected under HIPAA law, it is important that you take precautions as a practitioner to prevent unauthorized third parties from being able to hear what is being said during a clinical session.
Two ways to safeguard against a videoconferencing HIPAA breach are to:
- Make sure your office door is closed during sessions so that your session is not overheard by unauthorized parties; and
- Ensure you are the only person who initiates or receives video calls involving clinical services.
FasPsych – A Leader in Telemed
As an early adopter of telemed technology, FasPsych has been providing this essential service to organizations across the country for many years. We have the flexibility to adapt to a variety of medical systems while providing reliable virtual access for patients and practitioners. Join our growing team of telepsychiatric providers today!