Forum 1-Amy Spear

1. Our great advancements in technology have already begun to impact doctor-patient relationships. Technology is becoming more and more common in healthcare. So common, that all areas in mental health can now provide e-therapy. Doctor-patient relationship is vital to medicine. It is especially important in mental health fields because it is a major part of the therapeutic process. It is clear the this doctor-patient relationship has changed with the use of technologies such as videoconferencing, email, and instant messaging. Anderson has written “Emerging evidence across trials clearly suggests that the computer cannot totally replace human contact”  . Therefore, he is stating that although technology use may be more efficient and easier to access, it may not be as beneficial as in-person therapy.  Also, that these therapies could be more helpful if in-person therapy was used as well. So although, online therapy is becoming more common, in-person consultations will stay the norm for most patient-doctor relationships. However, with the use of online therapy, it is vital that patients and doctors set boundaries especially when using these online portals. These are conversations that doctors and patients need to have especially when utilizing online therapies. It is also important that they establish back-up resources in the event that their online therapy is not sufficient or urgent issues arise. E-therapy can be very beneficial because it is convenient, private, and easily accessible for those in remote locations or those with disabilities. Online treatments are being created that can be just as effective as in-person therapies. Therefore, as our research and advancements we will continue to see these changes between doctor and patient to hopefully one day reform this relationship while using online therapies to make it just a strong as in-person doctor-patient relationships.

2. A virtual patient advocate(VPA) is computerized character such as an animated avatar that is that is designed to integrate practices from provider-patient communication theory. It portrays face-to-face communication with non-verbal communication like hand gestures, posture, and gazes. VPAs could be very beneficial for children. This is because children might find that interacting with a VPA like a “virtual friend” would be much less threatening than with a physician. This would be especially true if the VPA was also a child. Many children are used to seeing animated characters in video games and movies so they might be very comfortable using a VPA. VPAs could work similarly for veterans. The SimCoach was a project created to establish virtual support agents that serve as online guides and therapists to military service members, veterans, and their families. VPAs can elevate these methods and deliver new methods of care. VPAs can be used for PTSD patients in a similar way that VR is currently being used to treat these patients.