Online Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment
Dr. Grugle now offers comprehensive psychiatric services online. As this new service is being implemented, the number of patients initially served will be limited.
Online medical services are rapidly expanding across the world. Generally, such services are intended to provide specialty care and consultation in areas that are under served by medical professionals. These programs have been, on the whole, very helpful and well received by patients and medical professionals alike.
Psychiatry is particularly well suited to online services, since most of the information needed can be gathered with sound and sight alone. Hands on examination of the patient is seldom required or performed by psychiatrists.
There are many “e-counseling” web sites. These are often nothing more than places to get advice for a fee. It is not Dr. Grugle’s intention to offer only psychotherapy (or advice), but a full range of psychiatric consultation, evaluation and treatment.
Mental health services are often in short supply, even in metropolitan areas. Online psychiatric services should be intended to increase access to mental health services without cumbersome prerequisites or qualifications. It would be unreasonable and paternalistic to require that a patient’s choice of access to care be evaluated for validity, as some have suggested. Therefore, there are no requirements for online treatment other than Dr. Grugle’s usual office policies. Of course, patients must have access to a broadband internet connection and a computer capable of video conferencing.
Online consultation is also available to Texas physicians and clinics. This may be especially valuable in rural areas.
Advances in communication bring new ways of connecting, but systems and orginizations are often slow to accept and adapt to these new technologies. Contradictory standards emerge – the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners highly encourages medical practices to adopt electronic medical records systems, yet passed a rule requiring physicians to print out a “hard copy” of all electronic communications to be included in an old fashioned paper chart.
Most insurance companies, including Medicare, do not currently provide reimbursement for services provided online or over a telephone. This is likely to change in the future, but until such time, Dr. Grugle will not bill insurance companies for online services, but will provide usual medical bills for the patient’s submission. Medicare patients will be required to sign an “Advance Beneficiary Notice” stating that they understand Medicare will not cover charges for online treatment.
State medical boards are currently debating how to license and regulate physicians who cross state lines electronically. There is, as yet, no nation wide licensing of physicians. Therefore, Dr. Grugle’s online services are currently restricted to legal residents of Texas.
To request additional information, or to schedule an initial consultation, contact Dr. Grugle at tgrugle@mac.com