Bright Heart Health was selected to present at the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals annual conference in Amelia Island, Florida on February 20, 2016.
Bright Heart Health’s Vicki Berkus, MD and Jonathan Ciampi will present on the benefits of telemedicine and eating disorders.
Dr. Berkus and Ciampi will look at the use of telemedicine as a viable option for those patients who do not have access to an eating disorders professional in their area. The need for continued care is essential for recovery from eating disorders and telemedicine is a way to provide it.
Additionally, the presentation will cover
-staffing
-scheduling
-HIPAA compliance
-safety and risk management
-therapeutic connection
-insurance coverage
Being selected by IAEDP acknowledges the opportunity for telemedicine in behavioral health. Telemedicine offers an alternative treatment option to patients who do not have access to care for their eating disorder.
Telemedicine offers an alternative treatment option to patients who do not have access to care for their eating disorder.Dr. Vicki Berkus
Many patients complete residential treatment or PHP and find themselves without trained eating disorder professionals near their residence. The nature of the illnesses requires ongoing supervision, therapy and support. There are other patients who have no transportation, child care or time allotted at work to make traditional appointments. These people struggle to maintain recovery or to get any help with their eating disorder. We will discuss the pros and cons of telemedicine. The field is so new that it is important to establish a standard of care utilizing this option. Since Bright Heart Health is the first JCAHO certified telemedicine eating disorders IOP program to be credentialed, we feel we have something to share with others who are considering this type of practice. The learing curve is steep and by working together, we can help others provide care.
Telemedicine takes a tremendous effort on the part of staff to work in a new environment and maintain the integrity and provide the results needed for the success of the program. The eating disorders client provides unique therapeutic challenges that we have successfully addressed and are working on outcome studies to show the effectiveness of the program.