Telehealth for Adolescents- Enhancing Access to Behavioral Health Care

Telehealth for Adolescents- Enhancing Access to Behavioral Health Care

Hello,

This is a great post. You’ve given a thorough rundown of Jarrett’s circumstances and the factors to be taken into account for his next telehealth appointment. It is clear that telehealth has many advantages, particularly for young people like Jarrett, who might feel more at ease talking about delicate topics from the comfort of their own homes. I value your consideration of privacy issues and the need to establish a secure workspace for these visits.

Additionally, as you indicated, it’s imperative to communicate well with Jarrett before the visit to resolve any technical concerns and give precise directions on how to connect to the telehealth platform. Notably, in some conditions, Florida law permits children over 13 to obtain mental health services without parental agreement; this emphasizes how crucial it is to protect Jarrett’s privacy and autonomy. Furthermore, open communication can facilitate the development of rapport and trust with Jarrett, creating a safe space for talking about his treatment objectives and mental health issues.

In addition, the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention emphasizes how critical it is to address risk factors and advance mental health fairness among young people. Jarrett’s family and support network can be included in goal-setting as part of his treatment plan to enhance his general functioning and safety. Screening techniques such as PRAPARE can assist in identifying social determinants of health (Pourat et al., 2022). Incorporating Jarrett’s family and support system into the goal-setting process can also help them better understand his needs and encourage a team approach to his mental health treatment.

Overall, your post highlights the significance of a comprehensive approach to mental health care and offers insightful information about the protocols and considerations involved in providing telehealth services to teenagers like Jarrett. Furthermore, highlighting the holistic approach to mental health care highlights the importance of attending to Jarrett’s wider social, emotional, and environmental elements that could be influencing his overall health in addition to his current symptoms.

References

Pourat, N., Lu, C., Huerta, D. M., Hair, B. Y., Hoang, H., & Sripipatana, A. (2022). A systematic literature review of health center efforts to address social determinants of health. Medical Care Research and Review, 107755872210882. https://doi.org/10.1177/10775587221088273

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Answer my classmate post discussion

Jarrett, a 16-year-old patient who is a minor, is scheduled for a telehealth visit following an emergency room encounter in which behavioral medicine evaluated and diagnosed major depressive disorder. Telehealth visits are beneficial, allowing patients to receive care at their location without traveling. Telehealth increases access to specialists that may not be feasible due to traveling distance. The drawbacks of telehealth visits include poor information translation, breach of privacy, technical difficulties, and difficulty diagnosing due to lack of physical exam. With the benefits and drawbacks discussed, this patient is still a good candidate to receive telehealth services. The patient is a minor and may not feel comfortable discussing mental health issues with others present. The use of telehealth allows the provider and patient to discuss personal issues in the safety of the patient’s home. The Florida Statutes about the mental health of minors those being over the age of 13 are allowed to obtain mental health services that do not exceed two visits during any one week without parental consent, not including medications (Fl. Stat §394.4784).

Telehealth for Adolescents- Enhancing Access to Behavioral Health Care

Setting up a workspace for a telehealth visit includes using a room that allows privacy to ensure the information discussed is secure (Mishkin et al., 2022). The telehealth visits I have encountered during clinicals have involved the use of an iPad in a patient room. During those visits, the provider informs the patient who is in the room and allows a scan of the surroundings to provide security to discuss health information. Having a telehealth visit at the nurse’s station or around other members of the healthcare team is not appropriate and violation of HIPPA.

Jarret’s telehealth visit is following a mental health diagnosis of major depressive disorder and will need a videoconference on a smart device to ensure their physical well-being. The text does not allow the provider to identify Jarret as the person texting and poses a HIPPA risk. Telehealth via phone also poses the HIPPA risk of not being able to identify Jarret but does not allow the provider to successfully visualize the patient. Prior to Jarrett’s visit communication on how he will connect to the provider is crucial to telehealth success. Sending a link to a secured videoconferencing service like Webex or dialing directly for Facetime allows the patient to have the system downloaded or ready prior to the visit. This can be done at the time of the visit made by the office staff.

According to the Center for Connected Health Policy’s (CCHP) Fall 2023 summary report of state telehealth laws shows that in Florida informed consent is not needed to partake in telehealth services (CCHPCA, n,d). Discuss the role telehealth plays in the care of Jarrett and allow opportunities to address any concerns that either have prior to the telehealth visit.

The Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention developed by AAP, AFSP, and NIMH focused on early identification of youth at risk and addressing risk and protective factors. The blueprint places health equity as a critical suicide prevention task that identifies and addresses disparities in suicide risk by race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, community, and geography (Gorzkowsk, 2023). Utilizing screening tools to assess Jarrett’s’ social determinants with PRAPARE, AAFP Social Needs Screening Tool, or Iscreen.

Goal setting is included in the treatment plan for major depressive disorder for Jarrett. The treatment plan should include family members and parents with goal settings that involve improving function at home, school, and with peers (e.g., keeping up with schoolwork, attending family meals, and keeping up with school activities) (Barreto, 2020). In addition to goal setting establishing a safety plan that ensures firearms are removed from the home, access to the suicide hotline number, creating a list of coping skills, and recognizing self-harm behaviors.