12-10-2014 National:Mobile telemedicine company Doctor on Demand has found a promising new use for its technology platform — enabling customers to have virtual visits with a mental health professional.
The San Francisco-based startup has completely redesigned its app to reflect the expansion of its services to mental health. It has also set up a whole new network of mental health professionals in all 50 states to answer customers’ calls. In total, the network consists of 300 licensed therapists.
Providers must have a PhD or an MD behind their name to participate. They also have to commit to 15 hours a week to take calls on the service.
Unlike Doctor on Demand’s virtual medical doctor visits, the mental health sessions aren’t “on demand.” Rather, they’re scheduled in advance. Customers can, however, specify in their request that they’d like a same-day therapist meeting, Doctor on Demand cofounder and CEO Adam Jackson told VentureBeat.
Another difference is that customers can choose their therapist for mental health sessions, while in the medical part of the app, a doctor is chosen for them.
The mental health sessions cost $50 for 25 minutes (Doctor on Demand takes $10 of it), or $95 for a full 50-minute meeting (Doctor on Demand takes $15).
A virtual therapist meeting starts with the customer answering a few logistical and demographic questions in the app. The customer is then asked a series of questions about the mental health issue or issues he or she is seeking help with. The app might ask how often the person is experiencing anxiety, for example. Then the customer selects the duration of the meeting, inputs payment information, and the session begins.
According to the CDC, 50 percent of Americans will experience mental and emotional health issues at some point in their lives, but only 40 percent receive treatment.
