Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: What is Telepsychiatry?

Through the mobile app, you can see a psychiatrist face-to-face from the privacy and comfort of your own home to address common behavioral health challenges. Psychiatrists are different than therapists in that they have the ability to prescribe medications for the treatment of diagnosed mental disorders.

Q: What is the difference between a therapist and psychiatrist?

A patient would see a psychiatrist for medication management and a psychologist for talk therapy. Sometimes the best form of treatment is a combination of both talk therapy and medication management. Psychiatrists and therapists are each able to evaluate a person to determine whether one or both treatments approaches are necessary, and can make recommendations based on their assessment.

Q: Why would I see a psychiatrist online?

One in four Americans is affected by emotional distress at some time in life, but only one in eight seeks care. From chronic concerns such as depression and anxiety, to recent stress caused by events such as grief, divorce, parenthood, or other major life changes, online psychiatry allows for reliable and convenient visits with licensed and highly trained physicians. Besides an initial consultation and diagnosis, here are a few reasons people go online to see a psychiatrist:

• You need a psychiatric medication or more than one psychiatric medication
• You have one or more mental disorder diagnosis
• You feel that you aren’t getting better under the care of a general practitioner
• You are experiencing complex side effects to your current medications and would like a second opinion
• You want to change your psychiatric medication
• You have questions about your doctor’s treatment plan and want a second opinion

And here are some of the most common conditions that can addressed online:

• Anxiety
• Depression (Major Depressive Disorder, Postpartum Depression)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD)

Q: Will I be charged more if I talk to a psychiatrist on weekends, holidays or at night?
No. The cost is the same no matter when you talk with a psychiatrist.
Q: Do I need to schedule an appointment for telepsychiatry?
Our psychiatrist is only available by first completing the secure appointment request form, and then logging into the patient portal to schedule an appointment.
Q: Can my child see a psychiatrist?

At this point in time we are only seeing patients age 18 and up. Check back in the future, as we plan on offering treatment for children and adolescents.

Q: What is the advantage of using TelepsychHealth compared to a larger insurance company?
We incorporate a more personalized approach, with the better continuity of care, as you will be paired with a clinician who will continue working in this field. With some insurance companies you might be paired with a different provider at each subsequent visit. Also, it is less likely to have a reliable response time from those clinicians since these messages will typically be routed to a support staff member first prior to going to the physician. In your interactions with insurance companies you will also interact with a nurse, manager, billing administrators. In our clinic you will interact with the physician.
Q: What is an online psychiatry session like?
An online psychiatry session is essentially the same as an office visit but more convenient since are seen from location of your choosing, eliminating the need for travel. Prior to the visit you will be asked about your current emotional symptoms, potential factors contributing to these symptoms, and the change any symptoms compared to the last visit. Using all this information your psychiatrist will come up with a thorough assessment and treatment plan. This will be an ongoing conversation and, as they get to know you better over time, the plan can change as your needs change.
Q: Can I see a psychiatrist online if I am traveling or in another state?
Currently, you can only use our system if you are a resident of the state that one of our providers is licensed in. Prior to each visit you will need to verify your location case of an emergency. Under current laws, you will need to be physically located in your home state during each session, but will update if there is a change to the law.
Q: Is my online psychiatry visit private and secure?
Yes, we feel it is of utmost importance to maintain patient privacy and keep information secure. The technology we use is designed to be a private, secure, HIPAA-compliant tool that allows you to safely and confidentially consult with a psychiatrist online.
Q: Can I see a psychiatrist if I am traveling outside of the United States?
Please check our main webpage for our current states of operation.
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Q: What is Collaborative Care Psychiatry?
Collaborative Care Psychiatry is when our psychiatrist cares for you in coordination and partnership with your primary care provider. Another term for this is Integrated Care.
Q: Why do we recommend collaborative psychiatry?
Because doing so provides you with the highest quality care and most improves your overall health. Other important reasons to receive psychiatric care this way are safety, wellness, and efficiency.
Q: Why is collaborative psychiatry safer for me?
In this model, there is more responsible oversight of controlled substance prescriptions, which is important due to their potential for addiction and the risks of combining controlled substances with other medications. Controlled substances being prescribed by more than one provider is a common occurrence, but can easily be avoided by us collaborating with your primary care provider. When appropriate, we will provide our recommendations to them and request that they prescribe you these types of medications in order to help avoid duplication of prescriptions, excessive use of the medications, and medication conflicts.
Q: What is the role of the psychiatrist in the collaborative care?
The psychiatrist will perform the initial psychiatric evaluation and all follow up visits with you, make a diagnosis and revise it as necessary over time, and prescribe you the psychiatric medications needed to get you well. With your permission, after each visit he will send a copy of the visit note to your primary care provider so they know what medications have been prescribed for you. The only medications the psychiatrist will not prescribe to you directly are any controlled substances, but he can recommend in his note that your primary care provider prescribe those for you. Other things the psychiatrist may recommend to your primary care provider are to order any lab tests, diagnostic studies, or specialist referrals that the psychiatrist may feel are important in managing your condition.
Q: What kind of medication can be prescribed?
Controlled substances cannot be prescribed via telehealth unless you have seen one of our providers first in person. If you require a controlled substance (i.e., benzodiazepines), the psychiatrist may be able to coordinate with your primary care physician to have him or her prescribe those medications based on the psychiatrist’s recommendations. Otherwise, all other psychiatric medications can be prescribed by your online psychiatrist.
Q: Will my primary care provider be notified about my online psychiatry visit?
You can choose to share the session notes with your primary care provider. You will be asked if you want a copy of your after-visit summary to be shared with your primary care provider. If you choose to share your after-visit summary, we will electronically transmit your after-visit summary. You can also print the notes and save them for your own file or share with other healthcare professionals yourself. You may also decide not to share this information. The choice is yours.
Q: What are controlled substance medications?

Certain medication that are potentially addictive are considered “controlled”, and can only be prescribed by a provider who has met you in person first, as per the federal regulation, The Ryan Haight Act of 2008. Examples of controlled medications are:

• Benzodiazepines – used for anxiety, panic, sleep disorders, tremors, and seizures – include medications such as Xanax, Ativan, Restoril, Valium, Klonopin, and Librium
• Hypnotics – used for insomnia – include medications such as Ambien, Ambien CR, Lunesta, and Sonata
• Stimulants – used for ADD/ADHD, fatigue, depression, cognitive issues, and narcolepsy – include medications such as Dextroamphetamine, Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexedrine, Methylphendiate, Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Provigil, and Nuvigil
• Opioids, used for pain, and will not generally be recommended by psychiatrists

Q: How might I get controlled medications from my primary care provider?
Once your primary care provider has received the visit note from your psychiatrist recommending these medications be prescribed for you, you can call your primary care provider’s office and see if they will call those medications into your pharmacy for you to pick up. Your primary care provider may want you to schedule and come in for a visit with them first before they will prescribe these medications in some cases. In other cases, you may find that your primary care provider does not want to work collaboratively and does not agree to help you in this way. Should this be the case, one option is to consider finding a primary care provider who believes in collaborative care, wants to see that you get the help you need, and is willing to be part of this safe and thoughtful process.

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