René Y. Quashie—Senior Counsel in the firm’s Washington, DC, office— and the firm’s Telehealth practice were featured in Human Resource Executive Online, in “Telemental Health Is Trending Upward,” by Mark McGraw. The article discusses the findings of Epstein Becker Green’s report, “50-State Survey of Telemental/Telebehavioral Health (2016),” which provides a detailed analysis of the laws, regulations, and regulatory policies impacting telemental health in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Following is an excerpt:
Healthcare law firm Epstein Becker Green recently conducted a state-by-state analysis of legal issues related to telemental health, finding that new interactive audio and video platforms, computer programs and mobile applications are "driving [a] boom" in telemental health, with a "significant increase" in mobile applications related to mental health. The Epstein Becker Green report cites recent estimates suggesting that 6 percent of all mobile health applications developed are focused on providing mental health services to users, with another 11 percent devoted to offering stress management services.
The remote nature of telemental health makes it ideal for many workplaces, says Rene Quashie, senior counsel in Epstein Becker Green's healthcare and life sciences practice, and one of the study's authors.
"Telehealth seems to be a good fit for providing mental health services, because mental health providers rarely have to lay hands on their patients to provide care," says Quashie.
"Virtual care increases the ways in which individuals may access care, meaning that individuals need not always leave work to access services," he adds. "All in all, I think the appropriate use of telemental health services could go a long way in addressing the myriad mental health issues that may affect employees."