TELEMEDICINE AND TELE-MENTAL HEALTH IN WYOMING

1. TELEMEDICINE AND TELE-MENTAL HEALTH IN WYOMING Rex E. Gantenbein, PhD Center for Rural Health Research and Education WY Psychological Association 10-09

2. What is telemedicine? • “[T]he use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients' health status” (American Telemedicine Assn.) • Telemedicine generally refers to clinical applications • Telehealth is a broader term that also includes distance education and administrative applications WY Psychological Association 10-09

3. Applications of telemedicine • Telemedicine is especially useful in delivering specialty care to rural or underserved areas • Not a separate medical specialty • Telemedicine technologies • Interactive videoconferencing • “Store and forward” transmission of images or data • Remote monitoring WY Psychological Association 10-09

4. Applications of telemedicine • Remote patient consultations • Specialist referral services • Remote patient monitoring • Home health care WY Psychological Association 10-09

5. Telemedicine and mental health • Mental health services are hard to access in Wyoming • Telemedicine/telehealth can: • Provide live remote access to specialists • Support collaboration with primary care providers in local communities • Deliver education to local providers on mental health diagnosis and therapy WY Psychological Association 10-09

6. Telemedicine and mental health • Resources needed for tele-mental health practice • Videoconferencing equipment • Bandwidth • Security and privacy protections • Local coordinators • Practice and emergency protocols WY Psychological Association 10-09

7. Tele-mental health projects in Wyoming • Wyoming Telehealth Trauma Treatment Clinic (WTTTC) • Wyoming Network for Telehealth (WyNETTE) WY Psychological Association 10-09

8. WTTTC • Specialty clinic providing free therapy to rural victims of sexual or physical assault, crime, or domestic violence • Housed in UW Psychology Clinic • Services provided by video to crisis centers in Cheyenne, Rawlins, and Gillette WY Psychological Association 10-09

9. WyNETTE • Vision: a statewide telehealth network with particular emphasis on mental health applications • Upgrade telecommunications infrastructure • Implement educational, clinical, and administrative applications • Improve the knowledge and capabilities of the state’s health care workforce about telehealth • Develop strategies for sustainability WY Psychological Association 10-09

10. WyNETTE • Steps toward this vision • Funding from FCC Rural Health Care Pilot Program • Install dedicated high-speed connectivity for 39 sites, including small hospitals, community mental health clinics, and substance abuse centers • Funding from HRSA Offices of Rural Health Policy and Health Information Technology • Develop operational and management structure • Create business plan and service models WY Psychological Association 10-09

11. WyNETTE • Issues to be addressed • Equipment and communications costs • Technical training and support • Quality of distance services • Licensing and credentialing • Reimbursement • Liability • Concerns over security and privacy WY Psychological Association 10-09

12. Questions/comments? WTTTC: Dr. Matt Gray 307.766.2927 gray@uwyo.edu WyNETTE: Dr. Rex Gantenbein 307.766.6544 rex@uwyo.edu http://www.uwyo.edu/health WY Psychological Association 10-09

13. Sources for more information • American Telemedicine Association http://www.americantelemed.org • Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center (Spokane WA) http://www.nrtrc.org • HRSA Health IT adoption toolbox http://healthit.ahrq.gov WY Psychological Association 10-09