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Contributor: Kate Webby, Treatment Center Director at Health Care Resource Centers
Addiction recovery is a long-term process that requires outside support and resources. As the nation continues to struggle with the addiction crisis, the telehealth platform has provided a beneficial tool to enhance care management and coordination.
Telehealth has the potential to increase patients’ access to support services at the times they need it the most, without the barriers of travel or potential exposure to illnesses. It has allowed addiction treatment teams the ability to provide on-demand support and care coordination while helping patients work their treatment plan and avoid relapse. The ability to complete counseling sessions and patient check-ins assists in building a strong patient-counselor relationship that saves lives.
Incorporating a telehealth platform in addiction treatment allows patients increased flexibility in their daily schedules and the ability to complete counseling sessions in the comfort of their own environment. Providers now have the ability to address and document behaviors or concerns at any time, which may offer insight into trends and/or behavior patterns that are essential to proper treatment.
Telehealth has also increased access to care for patients living in rural areas that may typically lack addiction treatment services.
Despite the many benefits, telehealth is not the right fit for everyone. Patients who have not been safely detoxed or are in a high-risk situation may still need face-to-face sessions. However, telehealth is generally a good fit for individuals in outpatient levels of care.
