Skip Skype™ For Telemedicine: Facts To Consider

Skype is not a telepsychiatry service, cautions the developers of CloudVisit™, an innovator in telemedicine software

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Dec 06, 2012, 08:37 ET

COLD SPRING, N.Y., Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Skype™ is a social media platform, convenient for connecting family and friends in online chat. Yet some psychiatrists and psychologists are risking their medical professionalism and practice productivity by conducting telemedicine appointments through Skype. Until now, Skype was one of a few economical options available to psychiatrists to meet growing patient demand for online therapy appointments. CloudVisit™ telepsychiatry software gives doctors and patients a highly reputable way to connect online, restoring professionalism and profitability to today's leading psychiatric practices.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121206/NY24774 )

"Physchiatrists recognize telepsychiatry as part of the future of affordable, accessible healthcare," explains Daniel Gilbert CEO and President of CloudVisit™. "Now we're making doctors' valuable time and expertise available to patients in a way that serves patient and physician." The CloudVisit™ platform enables online psychiatry sessions with everything from patient scheduling and online billing to secure video chat and session recording.

Why not Skype for telemedicine?

Telepsychiatry through Skype does not let you schedule appointments or send patient reminders
Skype video chats cannot be recorded or archived with patient treatment notes
Online psychiatry with Skype forces you to dole out free healthcare; there's no way to invoice patients or track payment – in fact, Skype prohibits patient invoicing: in their Terms of Service, stating "You shall not resell or commercialise the Software"
Skype offers no professional barrier; patients can connect with you without an appointment
Skype's website is branded for their business growth, not yours
Skype uses your profile and patients information for advertising purposes

"Skype isn't the telemedicine answer. In healthcare, the stakes are too high and doctor's need more than a social media application that includes basic video chat technology," stressed Gilbert. "A comprehensive platform like CloudVisit™ ensures success with patients online." CloudVisit™ contains everything a practice needs for successful telepsychiatry and other telemedicine applications. Each practice receives a custom-branded website for patients to schedule online appointments and log-in for online video therapy. On the physician's end, a complete suite of management tools and metrics make scheduling, patient billing, and treatment notes a breeze. Best of all, everything in CloudVisit™ is backed by HIPAA-compliant security measures.

As for the financial investment, CloudVisit™ requires no expensive software or propriety equipment – just a computer or laptop, webcam, and broadband internet access. "For little more than a cell phone plan, doctors can be up and running with CloudVisit™ in weeks," Gilbert said. "Skype is free because you're really not getting anything business-wise in return other than being forced to view ads."

CloudVisit™is available today for psychiatrists and psychologists at http://psychiatry.cloudvisittm.com. To learn more about establishing a successful telepsychiatry practice, call 888-503-3009.

SOURCE CloudVisit(TM)