Telebehavioral Health: The Basics

Abstract

Telebehavioral health (TBH) is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), including but not limited to videoconferencing, to remotely deliver behavioral health services (BHS). While this is the most widely accepted definition, TBH has evolved with the advances in ICT and models of healthcare delivery, and the more “traditional” definition of two-way live videoconferencing has expanded to incorporate digital self-navigated modules, asynchronous care delivery, smartphone applications, and different consultative models. This has led to the use of some terms such as electronic health (e-health), mobile health (m-health), and digital health under the umbrella of TBH. As mentioned in Chap. 1, while recognizing the utility of different approaches to delivering virtual BHS, this book focuses primarily on the delivery of direct patient care via videoconferencing in a synchronous manner between two parties, the teleclinician and the patient.