In this very special episode of HIMSSCast, host Jonah Comstock welcomes his mother Carol Hornbeck, a marriage and family therapist in Minneapolis, and her colleague Edwin Shurig, a mental health counselor in Indianapolis. Along with Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich, we discuss what it was like for small practices and independent therapists to make the sudden move to telehealth in the face of COVID-19 — and how the experience will shape the future of their practice.

This podcast is brought to you by OnTrak.

Talking points

Edwin and Carol’s telehealth experiences prior to the pandemic
Which telehealth tools helped with the transition
Pros and cons of teletherapy
Telehealth: Great for couples, tough for kids
Going beyond telehealth: apps in the session room
Therapeutic applications of fitness apps and trackers
Thoughts on teletherapy startups
The importance of therapists connecting to each other
Regulatory challenges of teletherapy— especially licensure
How Edwin and Carol will use telehealth going forward
Payment parity and reimbursement challenges
Advice for telehealth tech vendors

More about this episode

The Virtual Care Paradigm Episode 1

The Virtual Care Paradigm Episode 2

Carol on "Talking Your Way to Change"

COVID-19 ratcheting up demand for virtual behavioral healthcare, Cigna finds

Telehealth use on rise for behavioral health

Now is the time for providers to be proactive about telehealth

Teladoc Health data shows virtual mental healthcare boom

Telehealth in the trenches — with Carol Hornbeck and Edwin Shurig