News Feature | August 19, 2015

In-Person, Virtual Talk Therapy Lead To Similar Results

Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Will EHRs Be The Bridge To Integrated Care?

A study of veterans undergoing talk therapy found those treated in-person and those treated through telemedicine gave similar reviews.

Virtual visits were found to be as effective as in-person visits for older veterans suffering from depression, according to a study published by the Lancet. More than 200 veterans were divided into two groups; one which received hour-long therapy sessions in-person while the other received their therapy sessions via video conferencing.

“Psychotherapy works for depression whether you deliver it by face-to-face or the telemedicine approach,” and telemedicine is a good option for “older adults who have barriers to mobility, stigma, or geographic isolation,” said lead author Dr. Leonard Egede, according to Reuters.

According to iHealth Beat, the study found:

  • After one month, 5 percent to 7 percent of patients in the telemedicine group reduced their symptoms by half, compared with 15 percent on the in-person visit group;
  • after three months, 15 percent of telemedicine patients reduced their symptoms by half, compared with 19 percent of in-person visit patients;
  • after one year, 19 percent to 22 percent of telemedicine patients reduced their symptoms by half, compared with 19 percent to 21 percent of in-person patients; and
  • after one year, 39 percent of telemedicine patients reported no longer being depressed compared with 46 percent of in-person patients.

“At our facility, we have almost 40 percent of people who live in rural areas, so this is a good opportunity to be able to provide care for them without them having to drive long distances,” noted Egede, the Allen H. Johnson Endowed Chair and professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

“The most important consideration is ensuring that there are procedures in place to address emergencies, such as if a patient reports intent to commit suicide or homicide,” said Dr. Charles Hoge, a psychiatrist and senior scientist at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, who voiced concerns with safety.