Covid-19 - Telehealth Announcement
Beginning the middle of March 2020 when COVID-19 stay at home orders were implemented in New York State, we began working in a telehealth manner and consent was provided either verbally, by phone call, or email. Although direct phone/video conferencing technology is not the same as a direct client/health care provider visits at the office, the appointments still offer the highest level of care, attention, and quality as they would in person. I am committed to helping with the well-being of all the patients who I work with and the teleconferencing platform has served as a helpful tool in this time with the pandemic.
The benefits of the telehealth platform include easier access to care and the convenience of meeting from your location. It limits all the physical health risks with COVID-19. The potential risks to the use of technology for telehealth include interruptions, unauthorized access, and technical difficulties. Although these aspects are unfortunately inherent with technology, thankfully, it has all been working very productively up until this point. Most families have been provided with the HIPAA compliant secure link https://doxy.me/drrobokos, however, telehealth providers have been authorized by New York State to access other platforms as well given the COVID19 emergency.
I continue to ask that all children, teens, and youth have a quiet, private, and distraction-free setting during their appointment with me that way they can access the support and interventions most effectively. To maintain confidentiality, please do not share a telehealth appointment link (or other platform that we will be using to communicate) with anyoneunauthorized to attend the appointment. It should also be understood that sessions should not bevideo or audio recorded as this violates privacy laws and ethical standards of practice. If there isa reason that an appointment/therapy session is to be recorded I advise you that notify me, so wecan discuss the rationale for this. A child’s safety, privacy, and protection are a priority with besthealth practices in mind.If you have any questions in regards to any procedures with the way telehealth has beenworking, particularly the risks, benefits, and any practical alternatives, please let me know and Iwould be glad to discuss further. Also, please be advised that similar to in-person visits at theoffice, telehealth practice is sometimes not conducive as an emergency service and in the eventof a true emergency, please call 911.
