Many people with mental health problems benefit from a combination of medication and psychotherapy. This means they have to see a therapist and a psychiatrist who can diagnose and prescribe medication for mental illness. All this is especially time-consuming for those who live in rural areas far from medical specialists.
The ReDCo Group addressed part of this challenge by providing therapists for its clients in the Poconos, but there were no psychiatrists in the area who specialized in children and teens.
Modern technology provided a solution to that problem.
The ReDCo Group found a psychiatrist, Dr. Neville Kotwal, who was willing to speak with patients by videoconference from his office in Lehighton. He’s seen about five clients since October, says Leslie Wagner of The ReDCo Group, which provides various health and support services in eastern and central Pennsylvania. The agency tried the technology with young people first, thinking they’d be more receptive to it than adults.
For their sessions, patients go to ReDCo Group offices in Stroudsburg or Milford and, with their therapists close by, sit in front of a camera. Wagner notes that while teleconferencing is nothing new, remote appointments with a psychiatrist are possible because of current technology. Modern videoconferencing allows for real-time conversation and clear images of facial expression. A secure connection keeps each session between the doctor and the patient.
“Psychiatry is about having a connection,” Wagner says. “Can you have a relationship with an image on a screen? I think you can.”
Source: Leslie Wagner, The ReDCo Group
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen
