Teletherapy Is on the Rise. Here’s How Quartet Health Is Shaping Its Future.

As many people struggle to cope with the emotional toll of the pandemic, a mental health crisis has emerged — and it’s threatening to transform the future of therapy. 

A recent study from the JAMA Network revealed that depression symptoms among U.S. adults are three times higher than they were before the start of the pandemic. According to the report, factors like lower economic resources and job loss have played a role in this widespread mental health decline. 

When lockdowns were put in place earlier this year, Quartet Health recognized that people everywhere needed greater access to digital mental health resources. The company’s platform helps patients find the best mental health care for them, connecting them with a variety of care options, including virtual treatment options.

According to Quartet Health Associate Vice President of People Enablement, Learning and Wellness Sarah-Valin Bloom, the company has expanded its pre-existing teletherapy options and features such as self-guided online programs and computerized cognitive behavioral therapy tools.

But how long will telemedicine rule the mental health sector, and will in-person therapy eventually disappear? While no one has the answers to these questions, Bloom said Quartet is doing its part to prepare for the future of therapy, no matter what shape it takes. 

Bloom caught up with Built In NYC to describe how Quartet Health is supporting its communities virtually and weigh in on the rise of teletherapy. 

Sarah-Valin Bloom, LCSW

Assistant Vice President of People Enablement, Learning and Wellness • Quartet Health

Do you believe that self-isolation and social-distancing measures have had an effect on people’s behavior, and do you think we will see this impact long-term? 

A global pandemic certainly falls under the umbrella of what many would consider a traumatic event. Fears around health and physical safety can increase levels of stress and anxiety, which can exacerbate any existing or underlying mental health condition. For those who do not have a diagnosable condition, such events can still have a substantial impact on functioning and the ability to regulate one’s emotional state and, in some cases, may lead to a diagnosable condition. 

Self-isolation and physical distancing make the impact even greater for everyone. These measures limit our ability to utilize typical coping skills, which we all rely upon to manage daily stress. Spending time with loved ones, going to the gym and the simple activities of daily living are compromised. As a result, people are faced with the challenge of finding new ways to cope, and in many cases, can feel overwhelmed by the current pandemic circumstances and the added stress of not knowing when or how things will return to normal. The long-term impact is yet to be determined, but I do anticipate that we will see the impact on the mental health of many people for quite some time. 
 

The long-term impact is yet to be determined, but I do anticipate that we will see the impact on the mental health of many people for quite some time. 

At the onset of the pandemic, did Quartet make any adjustments to its platform offerings?

At Quartet, our focus has been to continue to connect patients to the right care at the right time. Due to mandatory isolations and quarantines, there has been a shift across the field of healthcare that encourages the provision of services remotely whenever possible and appropriate. Regulatory changes regarding the provision of psychotherapy and psychiatry services via telemedicine have dramatically changed accessibility, making telemedicine options more realistic for patients nationally. 

In response to the changes, we swiftly reached out to support mental health providers, including psychotherapists and psychiatrists, in providing care remotely. We conducted outreach to all of the mental health providers on our platform to inquire about their telemedicine offerings and ensured that any changes were reflected in our system to seamlessly connect people with the best care quickly and safely. Since May, 80 percent of the visits we’ve scheduled have been for telehealth appointments.

Our service teams continue to provide personalized guidance and support to providers transitioning to telemedicine sessions with patients, and we have also developed a telemedicine landing page to answer frequently asked questions regarding telemedicine benefits. 

Quartet Care Navigators continue to spend time talking with patients about their clinical needs, the ways in which telemedicine works and how to access it, as well as answer any questions they may have. Setting expectations, talking through care options and addressing patient concerns are all critical.

How do you think the pandemic will affect the ways in which mental health care is administered and received? 

Major changes have been made to the regulations that enable the delivery and receipt of mental healthcare services via telemedicine and across state lines (for some specialties). It is unclear as to whether or not these changes will be made permanent, although many people hope these changes are here to stay. We have seen the quick adoption of telemedicine services by patients and providers, and if the changes remain in place, I believe it will be here to stay. That said, there will always remain a need for in-person care, and I do not imagine it will replace in-person treatment completely.  

Mental health services are particularly well suited to telemedicine, which makes it a great option for some patients. Telemedicine also increases access in really meaningful ways. For patients who live in areas where in-person services that meet their needs are challenging to find, telemedicine makes it easier to access care and services that would otherwise be unavailable. Telemedicine also makes care easier to access for patients who have difficulty getting to or from appointments due to physical health conditions or transportation concerns. Lastly, there seems to be a sense of reduced stigma around teleservices versus in-person care, which helps break down long-standing barriers to care. 

Have you noticed any changes in patient behavior, such as an increase in treatment requests, since the pandemic began?

We have seen a significant increase in scheduled appointments with mental health providers, and we have seen a substantial decrease in the time it takes for patients to be seen for their first appointment. This means that not only are patients more likely to schedule appointments, but they are getting to care faster now. We have also seen a major increase in the number of telemedicine sessions scheduled versus in-person visits. 

While we cannot make any claims about causation, there is a clear correlation between the onset of the pandemic and these changes. Potential contributing factors may include the increased need for mental healthcare services and more willingness from patients to engage in treatment due to a reduction in stigma. Right now, there is a sense that it is OK not to be OK. It may also be easier for some patients to access care via telemedicine.