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 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!
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
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? ;-)
  
  --
  "When all you have is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail."
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.