Telepsychiatry
Convenience
Telepsychiatry or telepsych means being seen by a mental health specialist like a psychiatrist through a HIPAA secure and private video connection over the internet in order to diagnose and treat those wanting to improve their mental health. Telemedicine, in the US, is a growing way to treat patients and in 2018 there were over 7 million users. Academic research shows that for a 20 minute traditional in-person appointment, over 120 minutes is spent in effort to attend the appointment between commute and wait times. Additionally, it can often take months to get scheduled to see a psychiatrist and one must overcome the stigma of seeking mental health care. Access can also be an issue for people living in remote areas without a psychiatrist.
Telepsychiatry is an answer to these challenges. An appointment with Dr. Burson using telepsychiatry allows an individual to be seen from the comfort of wherever they prefer, with ultimate privacy and to be scheduled right away. Telepsychiatry has been shown to be just as effective as traditional in-person encounters and many patients prefer it.
Dr. Burson offers telepsychiatry services to residents in Washington state, Idaho and Alabama at this time.
Time and Frequency of Telepsych Appointments
An intake session is 55 minutes and is considered a consultation to connect and get to know the goals of the patient as well as what some of the strengths and challenges are. Additionally, we can begin to determine an accurate diagnosis and looking at a way forward. From here, sessions are catered to meet the needs of the patient and are usually more frequent in the beginning (perhaps once every two weeks) with appointments eventually being stretched out to once a month or once every two or three months until things are stabilized/optimized with the goal of finding that stabilization within a year. Appointments can range from 20 minutes to 55 minutes depending on the needs and wants of the patient. Patients can work with Dr. Burson for both medication management/treatment planning and for intensive talk therapy if needed or Dr. Burson is happy to collaborate with another therapist treating the patient for talk therapy or counseling.
Once you have achieved what you came for if you are wanting to transfer back to your primary care doctor, free consultation is offered to your provider during the transition if they have questions.