Eating disorders are very complex mental illnesses that often need specific and specialized treatment. Eating disorders can become very serious and can also be paired with other mental illnesses including anxiety or OCD. As a care provider, it can be difficult to know how to best provide service to your patients and ensure that they feel comfortable, especially when you have many different patients with individual needs. Luckily, along with other treatments, telehealth can help with eating disorders.

How Telehealth Can Help With Eating Disorders

Telehealth has had a big impact on the medical world. It has changed a lot of problems such as access to healthcare in remote locations and demands on healthcare facilities. Telehealth has also made a difference in the way that mental health issues are diagnosed and treated. Following are some of the ways that telehealth can help with eating disorders and other mental health illnesses.

Convenience

One of the most important ways that telehealth is helpful is that it creates convenience for the patient and care providers. It can be hard for clients to want to commute to consultations or appointments. Virtual meetings are much easier to access and can be accessed from the comfort of a patient’s home. Schedules are often more flexible as well, meaning that clients can receive service when they need it. This can be good for healthcare providers too because it decreases demands of their facilities and on nurses. However, there are some more serious cases of eating disorders that may require hospitalization. 

Family-Based Therapy

Telehealth is a great aid for eating disorders that are being treated with family-based therapy. Family-based therapy is a treatment for anorexia nervosa in which the family helps their child eat again with the intent to avoid hospitalization. Telehealth is a wonderful resource for this form of care because it allows the therapist to see how the family interacts without having to be in the home. It also allows for the family and the patient to easily check in and give status reports and request different options if things are not going well.

Quality Care

Another reason that telehealth is a great option for patients with eating disorders is because it offers the same services that in person consultations would. Patients can meet one-and-one with the therapist or in a group setting, using secure video technology. Clients can also receive information about how to properly nourish their bodies and support in their recovery. Telehealth also supports the medical staff with patients who are admitted to the hospital because virtual assistants can help with calls that are coming in so that nurses can properly attend to in-person patients.

Is Your Company Considering Implementing Telehealth?

Here at CareXM, we have many different telemedical services that are designed to help hospitals and other medical centers best care for their patients. Whether you need a call answering system or virtual meeting software, we have you covered. For more information and to create the best telehealth plan for your company, contact us today.