There have been many reports lately about the benefits of video conferencing in hospitals and healthcare, allowing physicians to communicate with their patients instantly and over long distances.
For the latest developments in those applications, we now have video conferencing for mental health, as the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia has undertaken a project to provide over a hundred video conferencing units.
As mental health specialists only show up a couple of times a month, crises are often made worse by the lack of available doctors. Specialists would have to travel long distances to reach facilities so they could see their patient, which makes things difficult for doctors and patients.
With teleconferencing, that’s no longer an issue.
Being able to speak face-to-face over long distances means mental health specialists can see and speak with their patients instantly when their services are needed. No more waiting for the patients, and no more long trips for the doctors; instant communication for instant assistance.
Being able to see the person you’re talking to can make all the difference.
"One of the areas where it's really valuable is those times when you don't have a specialist on-deck at the time that you've got a crisis," said Geoff Harris from South Australia’s Mental Health Coalition. "If the specialist can actually see the individual then you're likely to get a much better interaction. Nobody is saying it's the answer to everything and obviously you need enough services on the ground but it's a really important link I think for people, particularly as you get more remote in South Australia."
This is another example of how telecommunications is helping people, perhaps even saving lives, all over the world. While it may not be a perfect replacement for human interaction, it certainly suffices in these situations, proving both convenient and helpful for the doctors and patients alike.
Edited by
Braden Becker
