Active-duty military to get remote aid - counseling by video

[The Straight Story]

Active-duty military to get remote aid
Veterans’ hospital offers counseling by video.

By JASON ROSENBAUM of the Tribune’s staff
Published Saturday, July 8, 2006



G.J. McCarthy photo
The image of Veneta Raboin, a clinical nurse specialist with Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, appears on a video monitor Thursday at the hospital in a demonstration of technology that will help treat behavioral health of servicemen and servicewomen at Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base. The treatment option is needed because of deployments overseas.


The Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital announced this week it has received a $217,000 grant to help treat the behavioral health of active military personnel through video-conferencing.

The technology uses a video camera connected to a television set to connect an employee at the hospital with a patient at either Fort Leonard Wood or Whiteman Air Force Base.

"We’re able to dial into the remote site, and then you have the option of then seeing who’s on that end; you can also see yourself to see what you’re seeing," said Michael Moore, a clinical psychologist at the hospital. "And then you just talk back and forth."

Moore said the teleconferencing technology gives the hospital an opportunity to fill an important health-care need to active-duty personnel and their beneficiaries.

http://www.showmenews.com/2006/Jul/20060708News003.asp

[spindrifter]

1. iPod Counseling, Anyone?

Gads, that sounds like it's really a great way to develop a therapeutic relationship with some guy who is about ready to blow his or someone's brains out.

[The Straight Story]

3. What's next, Eliza? :) (old program reference)

I am all for helping them, just damn sad we cannot send people there for face to face - might help the Dr. to better understand the patient.

[Monkeyman]

2. One thing will the troops go

You don't know the service after they know you got a problem watch out for section 8's

[lyonn]

4. My Gawd, can the govt. afford $217,000?

For a phone conference for emotional problems, PTSD?, now that is real caring.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

5. No politician would EVER allow their family member to get this "CARE"

My heart is breaking, as I know that this is better than what was already in place for these soldiers. HOLY CRAP- if this is an improvement, think about what was already there.

Therapeutic relationships are already hard enough to find, even when one is in the same physical location. How many of us have "fired" a therapist/counselor, or other doctor with whom we did not feel that we could benefit from their services. I have. And this is when I was able to actually talk to them in person.

It's the nervous tic that could be missed, or the foot tapping, or slight movements too fine for a videoconference. It's the lack of emotional commitment that is physically impossible to replicate in this fashion. Yet, if someone really needs to talk, this program may be beneficial on some level- at least getting a tie in to a stabilizing force? I don't know. What's at the end of this- what happens when the camera goes off? It's easy enough, especially when not in the same room to not realize the emotional wall that can be put up, and if the caretaker sees the person with the walls up, it's a different person almost than the real individual underneath that needs help.

When are we ever going to learn that money spent on mental health is not a waste? It's beneficial to the mental health of those around the person, and those persons interracting with the people who have been interfacing with the original individual on a daily basis. It's like a cluster. If you can treat one person, other people; caretakers, friends, family- even the person behind them in the grocery line will interact differently with this healthy person...Oh... I'm starting to ramble and my rational self is fleeting. Perhaps I should teleconference into some program- apparently, I have some rage and anger issues occurring here...

[Bucky]

6. Well they'd send therapists over to Iraq, but it's fucking dangerous there

Are these actual teleconferences with actual shrinks, or are they just shipping videos of old Dr. Phil show to the Green Zone?

[unhappycamper]

7. Video doctoring is part of the plan for the unwashed masses.

Senate majority leader Dr. Catkiller pioneered this cost effective technique. :sarcasm: