Telehealth can assist in treating substance use disorders - Is it True?
America is heckled by the challenge of substance use disorder. There has to be a solution to this impending issue; government and the medical communities are doing their bit to find solutions but the sheer magnanimity of the issue demands more attention and efforts in the right direction. The point of worry is that most patients are not receiving help, guidance and treatment.
The challenge of Substance Use Disorder:
A lot of patients go untreated and often succumb to addiction, causing death. Even when patients are treated, they need continuous care as there is always a possibility of relapse. More than 60% of those patients who received addiction treatments in the United States relapsed within a year as per the 2016 United States Surgeon General’s Report.
There are more than 10 million people who misuse opioids. These figures are based on the study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2018. It is alarming that only about 10% of those who are in need of treatment for Substance Use Disorder received treatments in 2018.
Treatment options for substance use disorder are many and these include psychotherapy, medications and counseling. But fewer than one in five combating disorder get treatment.
Telehealth an effective solution for substance use disorders:
Patients often need around-the-clock, on-demand support and care coordination. In the absence of these facilities, retaining the treatment plan is difficult and so is avoiding relapse. Once the patient is isolated from care and attention a relapse is quite likely.
Addiction is more a case of isolation. So being connected with family and doctors is what the patient needs. Telehealth gives that opportunity to the patient.
Healthcare providers suggest treatment that integrates addiction control with behavioral and psychiatric care that reaches a wider population and extends personal care. Telehealth plays a major role in this aspect as telehealth and mobile technology help to create a digital profile of the patient.
Traditional methods of treatment have concentrated on group therapy and care in doctor’s premises, telehealth gives providers the benefit of working with patients at any time and place to keep a tab on what patients go through each day by being in touch with them on a continuous basis.
Benefits of telehealth:
There is on demand access to care and caregivers are available immediately during crisis.
Telemedicine and telehealth platforms give patients the comfort and anonymity as they can reach providers and mental health specialists anytime through virtual visits.
Messaging system allows providers, support groups and family members to reach for timely help and support.
Rural providers can get in touch with substance abuse and mental health experts to discuss about latest treatments. They can discuss about difficult cases and chat about the same.
Telehealth lets patients receive the needed treatment from experts without current barriers. Also, they can receive medications and skill to prevent a relapse and connect with others patients too.
Mobile phone to treat addiction:
The smartphone is an ideal tool to combat substance abuse and addiction. It is a real-time communication device because, it is with the patient all the time. Healthcare providers can message and offer support through text, SMS or e-mail to a large group or an individual at any time. Messages can be sent to individual patients based on their habits, location and medical record.
For health clinics or groups, a messaging platform can be a way to collect information about patients by sending texts, emails or daily surveys asking patients how they feel. Patients who give a negative response are sent another message guiding them to combat the crisis situation. The team can also extend help immediately to the patient.
If patients receive timely treatment relapses can be prevented.
mHealth apps:
mHealth apps are a great way to communicate with individual patients. Apps have daily messaging service with peer groups and links to various resources are mentioned. So, care is provided whenever and where ever needed. An emergency is never pre-planned. It is sudden, so in such situations mHealth apps are extremely useful with instant access to help.
The major benefits of these platforms are that they let patients communicate and discuss their challenge with other people who are dealing with substance abuse and addiction. So, it’s useful for people who hesitate to seek help due to the stigma attached to addiction.
Telemental health an important aspect of treating addiction:
Substance abuse challenges are connected to mental health concerns so treatment of substance abuse include mental health care. Telehealth provides a platform to connect patients with the required resources.
Virtual care from mental health specialists like psychiatrists and counselors extend help to patients beyond the setting of a clinic or office. This is especially helpful for patients/communities who have limited access to healthcare. Patients can access treatment for their mental health issues from home, making it a private communication, which is sometimes necessary for the patients who battle with lot of emotional issues.
It is useful for providers as well as they can extend their services and help more people because they don’t have to travel anywhere. These platforms help the frontline providers who work with federally qualified health centers. These providers need assistance, but they don’t have the resources to get trained.
Remote patient monitoring can help addiction treatment:
Sceptics discuss that telehealth might further isolate patients. Infact, isolation is something that patients fight. This is most likely not to happen as remote patient monitoring and telehealth offer personal attention whenever the patient requires it. The benefit here is when immediate attention is required and when the patient is at risk of slipping into relapse, care and attention is provided.
Need for treatment of substance use disorders has been unmet to a large extent. Telehealth promises to fill some of the gaps in care. But this tool is underused according to research led by investigators from the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School. Thus, telehealth should widely reach the needy because it has the potential to combat addiction- substance use disorders.