Like many clinical psychologists in private practice today, I serve a patient population whose lives are brimming with work and family demands as well as after-work activities. People’s increasingly busy lives are allowing for less and less time to fit in phone conversations that require fewer distractions and more privacy. Ordinarily, doctors of online casino roulette the past would spend the end of their day responding to patient inquires via phone, only to end up playing phone tag over something relatively benign. These days, doctors and their patients have found it increasingly more convenient and effective to use various forms of technology to communicate in addition to phone calls. In my own practice, I may rely on technology for the following purposes:
- Use of blog articles posted on my professional websites and Facebook page to convey basic facts on clinical disorders and trends in healthcare
- emailing responses to new patient inquires for setting up an initial psychological evaluation appointment, and how to use of healthcare insurance for mental health treatment
- texting with patients about changes in schedule for appointments, directions to office locations, and other general logistic information
- Skype sessions for occasional individual psychotherapy, such as when a patient is traveling out of town and prefers to continue weekly treatment
When it comes to treatment with a qualified healthcare expert, nothing can ever replace the value of engaging in a face-to-face appointment for evaluation and patient care. Patients and their doctors should have detailed communication up front about how and when use of technology is appropriate (and when it isn’t) for communication. Health care professionals should take precaution by educating themselves on the most recent safety guidelines for using technology in their professional practices, understand the limitations of their practice insurance, and employ the highest level of security measures for their electronic devices and internet services. Further, it is up to health care professionals who choose to employ technology for communication with their patients to take responsibility for informing their patients of the risks to privacy that may occur as a result of their choices.
For further information on the guidelines to using technology in the field of mental health, visit Joint Task Force on the Development of Telepsychology Guidelines for Psychologists and other recommendations from the American Psychological Association on distance therapy.
Dr. Christina Villarreal is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Oakland, California. For professional inquires Dr. Christina Villarreal may be reached at christina.villarreal@gmail.com or visit her website at www.drchristinavillarreal.com
Dr. Christina Villarreal offers professional support to help you reach your life goals at any stage. She provides personal and executive coaching and consultation for adults, with specialties in: emotional intelligence, relationship management, sexual health and dating, creativity/ innovation, time management/organization, peak performance/leadership, organizational diversity/cultural awareness, professional business development, and network growth/leverage. Specialization in working with the Bay Area’s tech community, including start-up founders and their employees, executives in finance, design marketing, attorneys and engineers, and wide range of creative professionals. LGBTQ and diverse populations welcome.