Kathy Matheson, Psychologist and Founder of Karepsych
Tell us about yourself and your practice!
Our transition to telehealth was seeded as an idea 5 years ago. At the time, I was working full-time as a psychologist across community mental health. While this allowed me to hone my phone-based therapy skills in both environments, I really didn't see these roles as long-term commitments.
The long-term goal my husband and I had was to find a way to work together, in a location-independent manner, allowing us to explore different locations and find our forever home. Fast forward to today and we are doing exactly that.
We opened
Karepsych, a private psychology practice located in Canberra, Australia, back in 2015 and over the first few years built a steady clientele with great referral networks. At the time, all sessions were face-to-face. Given Canberra's transient and mobile workforce, built mostly around Australia's Defence and Government, we started to receive questions like 'I'm being posted interstate/overseas, how can I continue working with you?' and ‘I don’t want to have to start all over again with someone else! How can you help?’. This really started us exploring the idea of telehealth and video consultations to support our clients. Valuing continuity of care and the idea of meeting our clients wherever they are really resonated with us.
Enter IT husband who shortlisted and reviewed the available platforms, knowing security, confidentiality, data sovereignty, and accessibility were important for our client base. Extensive testing identified Coviu as a natural fit for our practice:
- Great user interface
- Excellent integration with our existing practice platforms
- Combined with a focus on behavioral health and integrated services delivery, I have been able to integrate whiteboards, worksheets, and psychoeducational materials with clients during sessions, making the overall experience enriching, proactive, and productive for the client as well as for me, the therapist.
We left Canberra, Australia, in February 2020, moving our entire client base and administration team into a virtual health space. While we were initially met with some trepidation, the feedback we have since received has been extremely positive. Our clients find the entire experience easy, engaging, and trouble-free. No more parking fees or travel time!
Coviu has helped us achieve our goal, allowing the Karepsych practice the opportunity to become location location-independent and distributed workforce. They have consistently provided a reliable, fit-for-purpose video consultation and telehealth service.
"Our long-term goal was to find a way to work together, in a location-independent manner, and find our forever home."
What’s your experience with telehealth been like to date? How has this changed since the outbreak of Coronavirus?
We had already transitioned our practice to 100% telehealth (Coviu) prior to the outbreak of coronavirus and as such, we did not see a detrimental effect on our day-to-day operations. We were already well-positioned to meet the increased client demand given the circumstances.
What are the benefits of using telehealth for your patients?
Our clients have been able to maintain continuity of care regardless of their location or circumstances. Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, many of our clients were traveling or posted interstate as well as overseas. Local clients saw cost savings - travel costs, parking fees, minimized disruptions to work commitments, and the ability to engage in therapy from a comfortable location that suited their needs. Our Mums with babies love the new arrangement.
How do you market your telehealth services to new and existing patients?
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We use an SEO-optimised website (husband's forte)
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A monthly email newsletter/practice update to clients
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We're introducing blogs, long-form content, and reviews to help reach a wider audience
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We've built a very robust referral network - health-based directory sites, doctor clinics, and referral partners to name a few
Try us out
Try Coviu for free, with a 2-week trial - no credit card required.
To learn more, book a call with one of our friendly team members here.
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Marketing Your Virtual Care Practice
You are up and running telehealth consultations, but how do you attract clients to your new service?
Marketing your practice can be challenging so we have put together the ins and outs in an easy-to-implement document found here.
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