Recent article...27 Apr 2014 15:15
Online therapy has been talked about for years, and is a growing area within our field. A recent article in Forbes Magazine estimates that Telehealth will be a ‘Top Health Trend for 2014,’ with a growth rate of over 50%. According to the article, “telehealth is about to experience explosive growth.” In fact, the RNCOS Business Consultancy Services recently released a report “predicting 18.5 percent annual growth in telehealth worldwide through 2018.” Additionally, IHS, a market research firm, “predicts that the U.S. telehealth market will grow to $1.9 billion in 2018 from $240 million today, an annual growth rate of 56 percent.” While these numbers address expected growth for healthcare across the entire spectrum, they show a promising trend for therapists and other mental health providers.
With this rapid growth, its hard not to consider telehealth as a growth possibility for your private practice. The thing that has been most interesting to me in my conversations with ePsych Today is the ability for a therapist to extend their reach, by utilizing this technology, into rural areas and/or across state lines. Apparently, there are 10 states that are underserved in the arena of psychotherapy and psychiatry, who welcome licensed therapists from other states to treat the people in their state.