Telehealth Services
In the spring of 2020, we began providing our services via telehealth due to the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic and the resulting concerns for the safety of our clients and staff. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, Telehealth refers to the use of electronic technology — largely the Internet along with computers and cell phones — to provide healthcare services. We have learned that there are many pluses to telehealth and only a few minuses.
On the plus side:
On the plus side:
- It works! Children get better, and adults find that they get the same results they found in face-to-face sessions.
- People like it! There is almost universal acceptance of telehealth as a positive way to receive psychological services.
- Easily adapted! Many families are already familiar with using the Internet for school, work and family contacts, so the addition of psychological treatment comes easily.
- Timesaver! Rather than spending time driving to appointments, the doctor comes to you. There is no wasted time, and given Atlanta’s traffic, this can be a major savings.
- Expanded coverage area! We no longer only serve clients who live within commuting distance of our offices in Tucker. We can now treat clients from throughout Georgia.
- Psychological testing. Some tests and rating forms exist that lend themselves to telehealth administration, especially for older children and adults. However, there are no tests of cognitive abilities, learning disabilities and some aspects of ADHD that can be administered online. As a consequence, we have ceased all testing until appropriate tests are developed or the pandemic has passed.
- Individual preference and/or responsiveness. Some people just don’t like interacting with us over the Internet, and for some — especially young children — may not respond well to this type of treatment. For those individuals, we will help locate face-to-face services.
- Insurance. Most insurance companies cover telehealth in the same manner as face-to-face services, but some do not. For self-pay clients, this is not a problem, but if you plan to use insurance, please check with our billing company to learn if your insurance covers telehealth and if we accept it. Some insurance companies cover telehealth but at a drastically reduced rate or with unrealistic provisions. In such cases, we may decide not to participate. Please note that you always have the option of self-paying for services.
Telehealth Appointments
The following guidelines should be kept in mind when planning a telehealth session:
For a Telehealth Appointment you should have already completed and submitted the appropriate Forms to our office and contacted our billing service (800.789.5761, ext. 106).
To connect with us via Telehealth, you will need the following:
To begin a Telehealth Appointment/Session from the Internet:
To begin a Telehealth Appointment/Session from the APPA website:
To make sure everything is working or if there are any problems connecting, call 770.939.3073 during business hours, or after hours call Bob’s (404.822.6659) or Carol’s (404.964.3826) cell phone.
- For children and adolescents, parents should be present at the first session and available for all sessions.
- The patient should have a private place to talk with the doctor.
- The patient (or parent) should have a cell phone available, in case there is a problem with the Internet connection.
For a Telehealth Appointment you should have already completed and submitted the appropriate Forms to our office and contacted our billing service (800.789.5761, ext. 106).
To connect with us via Telehealth, you will need the following:
- Access to the Internet.
- A desktop computer, laptop, tablet or cell phone — the device must have a camera.
- The (Doxy.me) connection only works with the Google Chrome or Firefox Internet browsers (both available for free).
- Go to www.doxy.me/drbobk for Dr. Bob or www.doxy.me/drcarolk for Dr. Carol.
To begin a Telehealth Appointment/Session from the Internet:
- At the appointment time, type in the patient’s first and last name, followed by pushing the “Check In” key. Then follow the prompts to set up your appointment session. This will take you to the doctor’s Waiting Room.
- When your doctor is ready, he or she will appear on the screen.
To begin a Telehealth Appointment/Session from the APPA website:
- At the appointment time, click on “Enter Waiting Room” below for either Dr. Bob or Dr. Carol.
- Type in the patient’s first and last name followed by pushing the “Check In” key.
- When your doctor is ready, he or she will appear on the screen.
To make sure everything is working or if there are any problems connecting, call 770.939.3073 during business hours, or after hours call Bob’s (404.822.6659) or Carol’s (404.964.3826) cell phone.
