Overcoming quarantine to serve patients in a mental health crisis with telehealth
Faced with a sudden shelter-in-place order in April 2020, mental health therapist Lys Hunt needed a way to serve her patients through the pandemic. Before COVID-19 hit, Hunt had only a single patient who didn’t attend in-person sessions at her office. With this shelter-in-place order, she suddenly needed a telehealth software solution for 15 patients per week.
Turning to video conferencing and telehealth tools that she’d previously used on a limited basis, it was clear to Hunt that these platforms could not accommodate a full schedule of patient appointments. Connectivity and customer support issues became apparent very quickly, and Hunt knew she needed to make a change to serve her patients through this difficult time.
Adopting during COVID-19 with telehealth
With an emerging mental health crisis due to COVID-19, Hunt needed an application that made it easy for her patients to meet with her virtually. Because the therapist was already using myABILITY for billing, our telehealth software felt like a natural choice. With virtual scheduling and billing capabilities in one place, and a user-friendly platform, the transition has been seamless. Hunt has maintained a full case load throughout the pandemic, helping patients who otherwise could not have received desperately-needed mental health care.
While Hunt has begun reintegrating in-person appointments, she and her patients have no plans to go back to 100% in-office sessions. For some patients, who moved farther from Hunt’s practice during the pandemic, telehealth gives them the freedom to continue working with a therapist they know and trust. And vulnerable patients have the capability to continue to care for their mental health without putting their physical health at risk.
Our case study explains more details on how Inovalon helped this New England therapist respond to a burgeoning mental health crisis in the face of quarantines.
Discover what the right telehealth software can do
Want to learn more about improving access to care with a telehealth software application that goes the distance? Schedule a demo today.
Inovalon and design® and Inovalon® are trademarks of Inovalon, Inc.
