- WHAT IS TELEMEDICINE?
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) defines telemedicine as the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status. Telemedicine includes a growing variety of applications and services using two-way video, smart phones, wireless tools and other forms of telecommunications technology.
- HOW DOES EMPIRE PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES UTILIZE TELEMEDICINE WITH CLIENTS?
Providers at Empire Psychiatric Services provide care, medication management, therapy and career coaching services to patients through video conferencing, which is used for real-time patient-provider consultations, provider-to provider discussions, and language translation services where needed.
- WHAT PLATFORM DOES EMPIRE PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES USE TO PROVIDE TELEMEDICINE SERVICES?
Empire Psychiatric Services’s providers utilize Doxy.me to provide telemedicine video services to patients.
Empire Psychiatric Services’s providers utilize the Google Voice encrypted platform to provide text message communication to all patients when requested.
Empire Psychiatric Services’s administrative staff utilize the Ring Central encrypted platform to communicate with patients via voice and texts with all patients when requested.
Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us, therefore ALL platforms used by our staff are designed to be HIPAA Compliant.
- WHAT DEVICE CAN I USE TO ACCESS MY TELEMEDICINE APPOINTMENT?
You can use any digital device that has internet access, a microphone, and a front facing camera. If you do not have such a device, please indicate this to Empire Psychiatric Services’s administrative staff and we will ensure that your appointment is done via secure phone call.
- HOW CAN I PAY MY CO-PAYMENT FOR MY SESSION?
The day prior to your session, the Empire Psychiatric Services’s administrative staff will send you a confirmation text message with the link to access a digital waiting room for your assigned provider. This text message will indicate directions for payment collection.
- WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MY APPOINTMENT IS FINISHED?
After your appointment, your medication will be electronically sent or called in to your pharmacy. Please indicate the name and phone number of your pharmacy directly to your provider.
Directly after your appointment is finished, please be in touch with our administrative team via call or text to ensure your follow up appointment is scheduled. Failure to schedule a follow up appointment may result in lack of availability for a follow up when your medication refills are due.
- HOW CAN I USE DOXY.ME ON MY DEVICE?
- The day prior to your session, Empire Psychiatric Services’s administrative staff will send you a confirmation text message with the link to access the digital waiting room for your assigned provider.
- Please click the link five (5) minutes before you are scheduled. Once you click on the link, your device will ask you for access to your camera, and your microphone. Please click “accept” or “allow” to give your provider access to see and hear you.
- Once you have clicked “accept” or “allow”, Doxy.me will ask you for your name. Please enter your first name and your last initial ONLY. After entering your name, please click the green “Check In” button.
- You will know you are in the right place, if you see your own reflection on your device as if you were taking a selfie.
- When your provider takes you into their digital office, you will see your reflection minimized to the right of your screen. Your provider’s face will take up most of your screen. You will now have a face-to face session.
- Please note that unless otherwise indicated, all medication management appointments are scheduled for 15-30 minutes. All initial evaluations are scheduled for 45-60 minutes. All therapy appointments are scheduled for 45-60 minutes. If you require more time for your appointment, please indicate this to your provider.
- HOW CAN I HAVE A TELE-SESSION IF I DO NOT HAVE A DEVICE WITH A CAMERA?
If you do not a smart phone or computer with a camera and microphone, please indicate this to our administrative staff. Our providers are equipped with a program that will allow them to communicate with you through a phone call. If you are communicating with the provider through a phone call, please be aware that the programs we are using are HIPAA compliant and your privacy is our priority at all times.
- WILL MY INSURANCE COVER TELEMEDICINE?
As we are currently in a National State of emergency, all insurance companies providing coverage in New York have opted to cover tele-health services. Our goal is to keep all service costs exactly the same as in-person appointments. Should you have any questions pertaining to finances, please reach out to our administrative team and schedule a phone call or video meeting with a member of our financial/billing team.
If you have questions regarding utilizing telemedicine with Empire Psychiatric Services, please contact our administrative staff by dialing 732-707-4100 or by sending us an email by filling out the form below.