About TeleHealth
Formally defined, TeleHealth is the distribution of health education, healthcare, and other health services via the internet and remote technologies. TeleHealth offers many advantages over classic healthcare approaches (going to the hospital), such as:
- Accessibility: TeleHealth enables the delivery of healthcare services to places where those services are not usually available.
- Cost: TeleHealth services are typically cheaper than those offered through traditional avenues. This reflects the lower cost associated with delivering such services (less hospital space, building maintenance, etc) and increased convenience for healthcare providers.
- Convenience: TeleHealth is often more convenient than traditional healthcare visits. Attending a TeleHealth appointment does not require taking time off or a drive to a medical facility. People with children may not need to arrange for daycare/babysitter services while receiving TeleHealth services.
Impact of COVID-19
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, TeleHealth services have been undergoing an unprecedented expansion. In order to protect both patients and providers, many healthcare services are currently only available through remote, phone, and other TeleHealth avenues. Mobile technologies are now being used in healthcare more than ever before.
In light of the many benefits TeleHealth offers and the ongoing changes we are currently seeing in medicine, we believe it is crucial to study and develop mobile applications that are effective and easy to use!
Our Mission
Our mission is to develop scientifically validated mobile apps for people living with mental illness. These mobile apps would deliver interventions to patients who need them most without much of the cost traditionally associated with treatment for such conditions. To date, there exist no scientifically validated mobile apps for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is despite the wide prevalence of PTSD and the negative impacts it has on people living with it.
Help us be the first by participating in our study!
Click here to participate!
Our Contribution to TeleHealth: REPS
The REPS mobile app is a cognitive training app designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress. 7 years into development, REPS has been used in multiple clinical trials--two of which involved participants coming into the lab and one remote trial with participants all over the country.
The most recent REPS study enrolled participants from 48 states. These participants came from diverse ethnic, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds that very closely resembled the demographic make-up of the US. This helped us know that we were studying a group of people that represents the population of the US!
The results of the Remote REPS study helped inform the study design for SMART. Based on the results of the Remote REPS trial, we were able to receive funding to complete the SMART study. We hope that participants in SMART enjoy the study as much as the participants in Remote REPS did!
