Therapy Over IP Draws the Young, Isolated

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Therapy Over IP Draws the Young, Isolated

Posted by timothy on Thursday February 9, 2012 @03:57AM from the how-does-therapy-over-ip-make-you-feel? dept.

Lucas123 writes "Psychiatrists say VoIP technology is more popular with patients than even in-person therapy when it comes to counseling — especially for their younger patients who are less intimidated by it. Along with many patients who like the convenience, telepsychiatry is a necessity for others who live in rural areas or are in, prisons, nursing homes or hospital ICUs. 'We've had just over 60,000 patient encounters. To my knowledge, only six have refused to be seen via teleconferencing,' said Dr. Avrim Fishkind, an emergency psychiatrist. 'We're tailor made for telemedicine because we don't check people's livers. We just talk.'" I wonder whether Eliza can be sued for practicing medicine without a license.

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VOIP != video teleconferencing by Jawnn · 2012-02-09 04:00 · Score: 3, Informative

The summary makes it sound like the shrinks are using an advanced technology, not unlike our present day telephones, to enable delivery of their services.
1. Re:VOIP != video teleconferencing by OakDragon · 2012-02-09 04:14 · Score: 2
  
  The summary makes it sound like the shrinks are using an advanced technology, not unlike our present day telephones, to enable delivery of their services.
  You should say, "much like your primitive 'telephone' ..." It sounds more futuristic.
  
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  Dark Reflection
2. Re:VOIP != video teleconferencing by timeOday · 2012-02-09 04:19 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Wow, you are making me feel old for remembering when long-distance calling was cost-prohibitive. In 1984 a long-distance domestic call was about 25 cents per minute, which would be 50 cents per minute or $30/hour now. Now I use an ooma device and, after the initial investment, haven't paid a phone bill at all in about 3 years.
  By the way, while checking my facts I found this humorous article from the Brookings Institute in 1987 slamming government regulatory action in breaking up AT&T claiming it was causing telephone rates to rise. Ha ha.
Doc... by Oswald+McWeany · 2012-02-09 04:04 · Score: 4, Funny

It's all well and good until the psychiatrist has a patient with Webcamophobia.

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"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Re:This actually seems like a good idea by g0bshiTe · 2012-02-09 04:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

Yes but what of things a Dr can't see that a patient is doing. Like fidgeting or picking at ones nails. Subtle hints that lead to some insight.

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I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
Psychic Psychiatrist by Oswald+McWeany · 2012-02-09 04:11 · Score: 2

Most people calling a shrink just need someone to listen to them:
I think I'm going to start up a new business; Pyschic Psychiatrist.
You don't need to come in for a visit. You don't need to call me using VOIP. You don't even need to know you have a problem. You don't need to know I'm treating you. I'll just listen to your troubles from afar by reading your brain and send you a bill in the mail.
Just so you know- I've read the brains of everyone on slashdot- you're all screwed up the head- but I've listend to your problems.
Please send $5,000 each payable to Oswald McWeany, PO BOX 13X, Psychicville, MA

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"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Re:ELIZA has a license by ackthpt · 2012-02-09 04:16 · Score: 3, Funny

How do you feel about that?
>

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A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Obligatory link: Web Therapy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-09 04:22 · Score: 2

Web Therapy came up with this idea a looong time ago. Go on, follow the link. I'll wait. You can thank me later.
Re:This actually seems like a good idea by Hatta · 2012-02-09 04:26 · Score: 2

Assuming that there is such a thing as legit therapy. Try looking for experimental data showing a statistically significant effect of therapy. Nearly all the data out there is lacking important controls, and when metaanalysis is done the effect mostly disappears into statistical insignificance.
The best predictor for success in therapy is the expectations of the client. Not the skill of the therapist or the methods he uses. This leads me to believe that the apparent success of therapy is due to self-selection by patients with good prognoses
As for the alternative, prozac is similarly ineffective when the literature is viewed metaanalytically.

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Horray! Less effective technology by girlintraining · 2012-02-09 04:26 · Score: 2

VoIP is not as effective as face to face. I'm not saying there's never a reason to use it, just that it's not as effective. A lot of person to person communication is via body language and subtle changes in intonation, etc., that using VoIP will conceal. Teleconferencing would be preferable because it allows the opportunity to communicate with body language as well.
Body language is huge in therapy, because a lot of what therapy is consists of getting the patient to talk about things he or she finds uncomfortable. Discomfort can be hidden much more easily in a person's tone of voice than in their body language cues.

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Privacy Implications are Horrible by mtrachtenberg · 2012-02-09 04:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

This is truly a privacy disaster in the making.
No psychiatrist willing to put their patients in a position this vulnerable should keep their license. Even if the entire session is fully encrypted, the patient has no ability to tell whether the psychiatrist is recording, has other people in the room, etc...
1. Re:Privacy Implications are Horrible by mitashki · 2012-02-09 04:42 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  No patient would ever notice if his psychiatrist is recording the live session in their room. The privacy ethic is totally in the hands of the psychiatrist. So now after addressing your paranoia and O/C disorders how about having a beer in a nice relaxing environment and screw the therapy? ;-)
  
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  "When all you have is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail."
2. Re:Privacy Implications are Horrible by Hentes · 2012-02-09 04:50 · Score: 2
  
  In the same way you can't be certain that an IRL psychiatrist will keep his mouth shut. Whenever you go to one, you have to trust them.
This was my senior project by Nadaka · 2012-02-09 04:34 · Score: 2

This is one of the things we did for for senior projects at my university before smart phones became popular.
We developed a system for audio-visual telepresence for counseling and rehabilitation for people unable to visit a facility either from disability, lack of transportation or by legal restraint.
Paging Dr. Sbaitso... by TBedsaul · 2012-02-09 04:42 · Score: 2

Stephen Hawking is here for his 11 o'clock.
Re:Just talk by Stormthirst · 2012-02-09 05:06 · Score: 2

And then sue for breach of patient confidentiality laws. Either way, you make money.
Re:This actually seems like a good idea by ToastedRhino · 2012-02-09 06:18 · Score: 3, Informative

As someone in the field let me assure you that there is well-controlled research out there that has found clinically significant improvement in client functioning due to talk therapy.
Also, the best predictor of positive outcomes from treatment/therapy is the quality of the relationship between the client and the therapist. This has been studied and confirmed ad nauseum.
A quick PsycINFo search, by anyone with access, for "therapeutic alliance" or "therapeutic relationship" will confirm that for you.