Implementation Of Tele-mental Health: A Promising Path But Still Elusive

Post covid-19 pandemic, tele-consultations have been an important medium to connect with patients in times of stringent lockdown and quarantine restrictions. Tele mental health has provided an opportunity for people to discuss and take help from trained professionals to manage their stress and other mental health concerns. Recently the Union government had announced the start of tele mental health program across the country to coordinate and improve the network of mental health services. It is a welcome move but yet challenged with roadblocks at the ground level. Various hurdles such as network connectivity, gadgets, infrastructure and technical support have to be sorted out to utilize the potential benefits of tele mental health. Privacy, safety concerns and confidentiality issues need to be taken into consideration with the help of regular updates and policy guidelines. Although tele mental health cannot replace the traditional hospital visits entirely, it can still be a bridge between doctor and the patient in times of health crises like the ongoing pandemic. Awareness about tele mental health will help to reinforce the trust among the patients and transform the same into a viable alternative in the coming future.