Telepsychiatry for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are a prevalent issue across the United States. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), nine percent of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will struggle with an eating disorder during their lifetime. Eating disorders are not to be dismissed: According to ANAD’s data, eating disorders are the second-deadliest mental illnesses, coming in second only to opioid overdose. More than 10,000 deaths every year are connected to eating disorders.
Eating disorders are also treatable, and the worst consequences preventable, through the proper application of mental health services. Unfortunately, in the United States, mental healthcare is simply unavailable in large areas of the country. Access to healthcare in general is unevenly distributed, and mental health services are often the last to be considered. With greater access to qualified mental healthcare practitioners, millions of Americans could get the help they need with their eating disorders. Orbit Health, a leading provider of telepsychiatry, aims to make that possibility a reality.
Research Shows Teletherapy Works for Mental Health Conditions
A wide range of research has definitely established the effectiveness of telehealth, particularly in the mental health arena. Studies have shown the effectiveness of telemedicine across all populations, including children, adults, ethnically diverse groups, and even active-duty military service members, in treating a variety of mental health conditions including the following:
- Substance abuse
- Anxiety disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Panic disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Bulimia Nervosa and other eating disorders
The adoption of telehealth for the treatment of eating disorders has been slower as compared to other mental health arenas, but the results thus far have been promising. New studies are being conducted at this moment, addressing whether telehealth is as effective in the arena of eating disorders, and the results are promising. For example, a recent pilot study found that family-based therapy (FBT) administered via telemedicine is not only feasible, but demonstrated patient outcomes equivalent to in-person treatments. Moreover, where the alternative is no treatment at all, as is the case for much of the country, the calculus is simple: Telehealth saves lives.
Telemedicine Brings Desperately-Needed Mental Healthcare to Underserved Patients
The coronavirus pandemic merely shed light on and exacerbated an existing problem in the United States: Large portions of the country simply lack access to proper mental healthcare services. Eating disorder care, in particular, has been inequitably distributed in the U.S., leaving regional and rural populations without any sort of proper treatment. As advances in evidence-based treatments for eating disorders are being pursued nationwide and worldwide, large chunks of the population are simply being left out of the benefits. Telemedicine is the obvious solution.
With telemedicine, rural and regional populations can access qualified mental healthcare professionals and group treatment opportunities from anywhere in the state or, depending upon licensing requirements, anywhere in the country. Orbit Health is prepared to bring psychiatric care providers specializing in eating disorder treatments to regions across the United States, so long as they have internet access. Our goal is to make sure that no patient goes untreated simply because there was no qualified doctor in the area.
Reach out to Orbit Health to Implement Telepsychiatry Services for Treatment of Eating Disorders in Your Medical Practice Today
Orbit Health is a leading provider of telepsychiatry services across the United States. If you own or operate a healthcare organization anywhere in the United States that would benefit from licensed, professional, and experienced psychiatric care providers, Orbit Health is ready to connect you with the mental health services you need. Using simple video-conferencing technology, Orbit Health can bring specialized psychiatric care to any location that has access to the internet.
With Orbit Health, you do not have to rely on practitioners already located in your area, nor do you have to worry about safety concerns such as coronavirus contamination. Orbit Health will connect you with dedicated, licensed psychiatric professionals, brought right to your medical office. To get the psychiatric services your organization needs, contact Orbit Health today!