Telehealth gives MBHI patients and families convenient care.
Mental and behavioral health programs across the country use telehealth services more than other medical specialties—up to 15% more, according to recent research. That’s true at Cincinnati Children’s, as well, thanks to its Center for Telehealth, which is designed to make telehealth available to everyone—regardless of location or technical ability.
“It’s a fundamental part of how we deliver care,” says Ken Tegtmeyer, MD, FAAP, FCCM, medical director of the Center for Telehealth.
Within Cincinnati Children’s, telehealth video visit volume is about 10% across ambulatory specialties, says Allison Pastene, senior consultant in the Center for Telehealth, but within the three divisions of the Mental and Behavioral Health Institute (MBHI)—Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry—volume is much higher:
- 30% - Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
- 22% - Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
- 19% - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Telehealth Use Cases Are Based on Need
Video visits are offered in varying settings within MBHI divisions depending on need, says Beverly Smolyansky, PhD, a psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and an associate chief of staff for mental health.
That may include outpatient follow-up visits for therapy and medication management, she explains, or for sharing test results and treatment plans after a diagnosis. It may also include inpatient video visits.
These are beneficial when families live far away, have other small children they would have to bring with them, or have a sick child,” Smolyansky says. “Other families also seem to just prefer this to meeting in person. I particularly see benefits in telehealth for patients with anxiety and OCD.”
Also, if a patient is admitted to Cincinnati Children’s College Hill Campus for behavioral health, they can schedule video visits with medical specialists involved in their care at other campuses so there aren’t interruptions. In addition, if new medical issues arise, the Center for Telehealth can schedule video consultations with other specialists.
“This resource saves a lot of time and effort previously spent transporting patients to appointments with all the necessary precautions around elopement and behavioral issues,” Tegtmeyer says.
Psychiatry-Specific Telehealth Offerings
Within Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, telehealth may be an option in certain cases, including when a provider or family member calls the Psychiatry Intake Response Center (PIRC)—an on-call evaluation and triage service—and determines that a child would benefit from speaking with a licensed behavioral health clinician during a mental health emergency. That conversation can happen over a telehealth call and save the family a visit to the emergency department.
Telehealth visits also may be an option in the PIRC Bridge Crisis Clinic, an outpatient clinic that provides short-term services to children and adolescents waiting to begin care.
Structured Questionnaires Via MyChart
The Center for Telehealth, in partnership with the Epic MyChart team, also offers asynchronous care that supplements follow-up visits. Providers may use structured questionnaires to asynchronously manage patients taking medication for ADHD, for example.
In this case, providers within Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics design structured questionnaires specific to a diagnosis or clinical indication. The questionnaires are delivered to patients via MyChart on a specific date. Once the patient has filled out the questionnaire, their provider reviews it and makes medication adjustments if necessary.
“Cincinnati Children’s has been a leader in asynchronous care from a pediatric perspective,” says Tori Ames, the center’s senior director.
Telehealth Not a Lesser Treatment Option
As with other types of care, telehealth referrals happen at the provider level. However, when clinically indicated and appropriate, telehealth can be a good option for patients with mental and behavioral health needs.
“Telehealth can be a nice addition to supplement care, so a patient doesn’t have to come to the hospital in person for every visit,” Pastene says. “Providers should talk to their patient families about whether it may be an option for them.”
The Center for Telehealth can also work with families to ensure they have the appropriate technology—and interpreter services, if necessary—ahead of a video visit.
Telehealth Services for Healthcare Providers
Through the Center for Telehealth, Cincinnati Children’s partners with healthcare providers locally, regionally and globally to support their patient care with telehealth technologies. The telehealth programs provided to partners across the health system typically include a combination of services, including:
- Diagnostic offerings
- Provider-to-provider telehealth conferences
- Regularly scheduled specialty clinics
- Remote patient monitoring
- Telemedicine consultations
- Transfers of care for complex patients
Project ECHO
Project ECHO (Extension of Community Health Outcomes) is a partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Office of Continuing Medical Education that allows for free, case-based learning between specialists and community providers.
The telehealth service has a unique use case for MBHI, with 17 courses dedicated to mental and behavioral health topics.
If your patient family has questions about the telehealth process at Cincinnati Children’s, they can call the Center for Telehealth at (513) 803-8353 to learn more, as well as request a test visit and technical check.
(Published April 2024)
