The Ehealth, Telehealth and Telemedicine Blog

Microsoft Buys SKYPE: What Does That Mean for Health Care Practitioners?

Many questions surround Microsoft’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype this week. What does new ownership of Skype mean for health care practitioners? I have 3 possibilities to offer you: 1. Any $8.5 billion investment has meaning for the industry it serves. Microsoft’s investment in this videoconferencing company is a good predictor for the future of video. [...]

SKYPE & HIPAA (ePHI vs PHI)

There seems to be continued confusion about whether or not Skype is HIPAA compliant. Please allow me to  post some of the additional requirements under HIPAA and let you consider if you are compliant when using Skype. First, there are the “rules” under HIPAA: transactions, security and privacy. Some of our colleagues see the security [...]

Telehealth, Telepsychology and Technology-Related Papers: Open Call for Manuscripts

Telehealth, Telepsychology and Technology-Related Papers: Open Call for Manuscripts

This is a forwarded message from the American Psychological Association’s Division 18 to request manuscripts related to technology, telehealth or online counseling. Two types of submissions will be accepted:
1. traditional research (20-25 pages)
2. profiles of successful projects (1-page)

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.

What’s Your Mental Health Professional Association Doing to Support Responsible Internet-based Telehealth Practice?

1. Are you aware of any other statements, ethical decisions, announcements or other documents for independent practitioners seeking guidance for practice through the Internet as produced by any of the large US professional associations?

2. Do you live in a country other than the US, and have a professional association that has published such a document?

If you are aware of any such resources, please leave links or details in the comments section below.

Skype Security & Other VoIP Systems: The Future & How to Protect Yourself

As we’ve discussed in previews blog posts, Skype runs on a “Voice over Internet Protocol” or “VoIP” which apparently is the common platform for videoconferencing online. The security of VoIP-based platforms, as well as reliability are the two issues I like to explore today. As I look for potential sources of information about the security [...]

Why Online Counseling and Psychotherapy Are the Future of Our Work

With our increasing mobile society, it’s only reasonable that practitioners learn to maintain the continuity of care when their patients cannot come to the office, leave town or relocate to other areas. There’s no need for our patients to be deprived of care when the technology currently exists for us to service them where ever they may be located.