What do you need to know about telepsychiatry?
We asked Joy Lauerer, DNP, PMHCNS-BC RN, who will present at the APNA Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute in June, a few questions relevant to her area of expertise: Telemedicine. Joy is an assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing and last year’s recipient of the APNA Award for Excellence in Education. She will present “Telepsychiatry: Connecting and Prescribing from a Distance” on Friday, June 9th.
Why is this topic important? Telepsychiatry is a validated and effective practice that increases access to evidence-based behavioral health care.
What is one thing nurses forget to consider when using telepsychiatry? Sometimes rapport and trust are more difficult to establish at a distance – one must work to communicate effectively at a distance. Some tips for building trust and rapport when using telepsychiatry include:
- Introduce yourself and explain the setting you are in
- Speaking of setting, keep the background simple and extra sounds down to a minimum.
- Keep your physical appearance simple also - less distraction!
- Re connect at the beginning of each visit by remembering a special detail. For example – for an adolescent who plays soccer, asking how soccer is going. Remembering family member names if they are present also helps.
What are the technology considerations? The technology needs to be a HIPAA compliant web program. There are many telepsychiatry platforms - I use one called Vsee and each clinic or setting will have an Electronic medical record. Note that programs such as skype and facetime are not HIPAA compliant.
What one idea do you want nurses to leave your CPI session with? Telepsychiatry offers Psychiatric APRNs with new job opportunities. There are a variety of companies that hire psychiatric APRNs to provide services from their home. Telepsychiatry can involve providing a range of services including psychiatric evaluations, therapy (individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy), patient education and medication management.
Interested in learning more about telepsychiatry, neuro-synaptic mechanisms of action, pediatric delirium, and more?
Join us in Baltimore, Maryland June 8-11 to enjoy these and other psychopharmacology sessions. Register by June 2nd to save $25.