Telemedicine For Behavioral Health
Baptist Health Richmond: Telemedicine For Behavioral Health
Licensed clinical social worker and counselor Christopher Holcomb describes how Baptist Health Richmond uses telemedicine to provide both inpatient and outpatient counseling services.
Telemedicine For Behavioral Health Health Talks Transcript
Christopher Holcomb, LCSW/LCADC, Behavioral Health
At Baptist Health Richmond, we complete the behavioral health assessments throughout the hospital. We also offer an on-site outpatient clinic, and we also started an intensive outpatient drug and alcohol program to help people obtain and maintain sobriety. Using the newest technology, telemedicine is a way to provide connectivity between two locations. We have incorporated it in the field of behavioral health as a way for patients to see a psychiatrist or a nurse practitioner for evaluations and medication management. A lot of patients are initially reluctant to try telemedicine services. However, most of them walk away with a positive experience after the fact and feel the provider has been more engaging to their needs during that time frame. It is a way that can be more engaging for certain patients, and it’s also a way to have a network of providers throughout the state in various locations as opposed to having them all in one location. I do feel we are providing better service using telemedicine. It is a way that individuals can have different access points to enter treatment and be able to get in to see a provider faster than waiting for the traditional face-to-face appointment. Our goal is to provide comprehensive services, which in turn will improve the overall health of individuals in our community.
