The Ehealth, Telehealth and Telemedicine Blog

Have You Seen This HIPAA Compliant Video Portal?

As previously discussed, companies devoted to mental health practice and offering “HIPAA Compliant” video platforms are now surfacing. One such service is Iconic Health’s HomePsych for organizations or private practices.

West Virginia Legislators Introduce Bill to Define Telepsychology

Our legislative leaders are recognizing the importance of Telepsychology. In West Virginia, House Bill 3123 was introduced on Monday to define Tele psychology. It reads:

A BILL to amend and reenact §30-21-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §49-7-36, all relating to encouraging the use of telemedicine, telepsychology and video conferencing in order to make child welfare system more effective and efficient; defining telepsychology and specifying it is considered to be practicing psychology for licensing requirements.

17 Questions to Answer Before Working with Consumers Online as a Licensed Mental Health Professional

What might a consumer want to know when hiring you to work as a “licensed” professional? These 17 questions were sparked by an interview with a journalist who asked me what a consumer might need to consider when hiring a professional online. The questions then, are meant to help both professionals and consumers think about the issues their online therapists should address, at least when asked, if not before delivering professional care.

Are You Practicing Illegal or Unethical Online Counseling, Online Therapy, Telepsychology or Telepsychiatry?

Some mental health practitioners seem to have made up their minds about what legal and ethical for email, chat or even video-based counseling/therapy. The problem is, the real answers depend not on the technology, but on the profession and the jurisdiction (province, state, county and perhaps city) of practice.

Correctional Psychology Practice Standards: Staffing Ratios to Be Based on Jail Population Size

The International Association for Forensic and Correctional Psychology (IAFCP) recently released standards that  proposed guidelines for staffing ratios for specific jail population and correctional settings sizes. These guidelines recommend that prisons have at least one full-time qualified mental health care professional for every 150 to 160 adult inmates. In juvenile facilities, the guidelines recommended a [...]

Does Video Contact with Clients or Patients Require HIPAA Compliance?

If a US-based company isn’t claiming HIPAA compliance, my tendency is to recommend against using them for the delivery of telepsychiatry, telepsychology, online therapy or online counseling in the US, until they make claims for which they can be held accountable by our federal consumer protection agencies. That includes email, chat rooms, telephone or videoconferencing.

Video Makes The Case for Caution and Perspective in TeleMental Health and Coaching

Back in 1910, automobiles were just beginning to be mass-produced, roads were not paved, driver’s licenses were not issued, and people were experimenting with their new automobiles by driving everywhere they could, along dirt roads, over fields, any yes, into ditches. For a quick 10-minute video clip that illustrates how this analogy relates to telemental health and coaching, just look here: MP4 version or FLV version.