The Teleshrink Has Arrived

Earlier, I had posted on a CNET article about telemedicine and its breakthroughs in England. Over here in America, telemedicine has begun to slowly spread, especially in rural areas. The New York Times has recently highlighted one of American telemedicine’s shining stars, psychiatry. Psychiatry is one medical field that can very easily be done from a distance because of the lack of physical contact needed to administer treatment. According to the Times, the need for telepsychiatry in rural communities is immense. For example, one doctor, Sara Gibson, works in a county where psychiatrists are scarce, but badly needed.

Her territory is Apache County, which is about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined, but which lacks even a single psychiatrist on the ground for its 69,000 residents despite widespread problems of poverty, drug use, child abuse and a suicide rate that is twice the national average.

The article also noted that, in some ways, the act of receiving psychiatric care from a distance was beneficial and preferred by some patients.

Dr. Gibson said the lack of smelling and touching, at least when it comes to psychiatry, has proved to be a good thing. Being physically in the presence of another human being, she said, can be overwhelming, with an avalanche of sensory data that can distract patient and doctor alike without either being aware of it.

"Initially we all said, 'Well, of course it would be better to be there in person,' " she said. "But some people with trauma, or who have been abused, are actually more comfortable. I'm less intimidating at a distance."

I myself have seen a telemedical facility at the University of Arizona’s Medical Center. It was pointed out to me that while doing psychiatric sessions there, video that was slightly fuzzy was preferred by patients over crystal clear video. For some patients, being at a distance from the doctor must create comfort and safety. Perhaps the fuzzy video adds to this distant effect.

The impact on future medical students, especially those that are interested in psychiatry, is enormous. More future doctors, like Dr. Gibson in the article, could practice solely through telemedicine. This could create a boom in care given to underserved areas, and rural areas. It is now up to medical schools to provide opportunities for students to get hands on telemedicine experience. The technology is here; it is now up to us to embrace it.

TV Screen, Not Couch, Is Required for This Session [NY Times]