The difficulties with treating PTSD
PTSD is increasingly common in Veterans after returning home from deployment due to being exposed to horrible and life-threatening experiences. The number of Veterans with PTSD varies by service era, usually between 10 and 20%. The position, where the war is, the politics surrounding the war, and who the enemies are are all factors influencing the likeliness of developing PTSD. Getting treated in rural areas is the biggest struggle they face. Many of these veterans live in the countryside with limited access to healthcare or transportation to the clinics. There also might not be trained professionals required to deliver the therapy in a care facility. Typical treatment to minimize the effects includes trauma-focused psychotherapies such as prolonged exposure therapy.
How telemedicine helps improve the treatment process through prolonged exposure therapy
Telehealth changed how this type of therapy is conducted to provide better results over a lasting period. The U.S., on average, “loses 20 Veterans a day to suicide”. The hope with this new therapy method is that these stressful situations will have less of a hold on Veterans. Telemedicine has effectively treated trauma-focused psychotherapies such as “Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia”. Before telehealth, Veterans had to relive the situation and then explain how it went to their doctor, which caused many patients to drop out and not finish the treatment. Telehealth allows Veterans to respond in real-time where doctors can monitor when exactly they are triggered using sensors to provide more accurate data. Therapists can closely monitor the situation and provide better feedback to help Veterans get back to their regular lives without suffering from PTSD.
Why Porton Health is the right telehealth choice
Porton Health is the reliable choice for your telehealth application to help treat Veterans with PTSD. Our OSCAR-EMR integrated BookApp allows patients to book their appointment for their virtual consultation from the comfort of their homes without having to find a means of transportation. Veterans can get treatment for their PTSD with video conferencing through our upcoming MeetApp. They can get real-time feedback through prolonged exposure therapy with the help of our application that can connect patients with licensed therapists. Veterans deserve the highest quality care, which we offer through our simple and accessible applications.
To learn more about our apps, email us at connect@portonhealth.com.
References:
How Common is PTSD in Veterans? Va.gov: Veterans Affairs. (2018, July 24). Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_veterans.asp
PTSD and Telemental Health. Va.gov: Veterans Affairs. (2007, January 31). Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/telemental_health.asp
Telemedicine: New technology for veterans with PTSD. MEDICA. (2019, May 11). Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.medica-tradefair.com/en/News/Archive/Telemedicine_new_technology_for_veterans_with_PTSD