Telehealth Technology Provides Security and Simplicity
Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides telemedicine services to qualified patients in alcohol and drug treatment, mental health treatment, and primary medical care. After careful research of the technology available, we chose to partner with MDLiveCare in Florida so we could deliver services conveniently and securely at affordable rates. The technology was a key in making our decision considering what our patients would need in order to use these services.
During our research of available telehealth technologies for video conference sessions, we were happy to discover that most of our services could be delivered through this medium. Assessments of new patients entering addiction treatment or mental health treatment can be completed before they come to one of our locations. This allows our staff to better prepare for their arrival, and saves patients critical time in on-site admissions time. It can also be used for outpatient services for some patients. We can also see qualified patients in primary medical care from their homes and offices.
The MDLiveCare technology is browser-based. This means that patients simply need to open Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, or whatever they use on a daily basis, and log in to their account. Once logged in, a simple interface makes it easy for them to schedule appointments with Providers, send and read secure messages with them, and view records. Anyone who browses the internet should be able to use the interfaces we provide, known as MDLiveVisit and TherapyLiveVisit.
Much of the technology used for telehealth video conferencing today would be considered complicated by the everyday computer user. Some require special software that, putting it simply, directly connects one specific computer with another over long distances. This adds work for the patient in setting up the software, which may not go well and lead to a need for technical support. Also, if the program crashes there is no backup means to connect to a session, creating a delay in services. These are issues that patients do not want to deal with when they need health care.
The MDLiveVisit and TherapyLiveVisit interfaces that are used by Tarzana Treatment Centers require no initial setup on patient computers. They only need a login ID and temporary password to get started. Literally within minutes, patients can set an appointment to see one of our health care providers. And, if the browser they are using happens to crash, they can switch to another to start or resume a session. All of this simplicity is delivered with the same or better security as those described above.
The LiveVisit application was started using the popular Flash Player to deliver video. This meant that almost anyone already had the software needed to send and receive video before they used LiveVisit. To improve services, a switch was made to using the VSee video format in LiveVisit. The new format uses less bandwidth, meaning that even patients with very slow internet access can send and receive smooth video. Patients still do not need to install bulky software to use this advanced video format.
We chose to partner with MDLiveCare and use the LiveVisit telehealth applications because the simplicity and security satisfied our high standards in delivering services to patients. The goal was to make getting treatment easier for patients, with almost no chance that problems will occur. No special equipment is needed, either, other than an inexpensive webcam since high resolution is not necessary in LiveVisit.
Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment. We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 888-777-8565 or contact us here.
Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.