As the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the spring of 2020, most hospitals, outpatient facilities, doctor’s offices, and many other facilities that offer medical and mental health services came to a grinding halt. Needless to say, though this was necessary in the short-term, it is not a viable option for the health care industry or public hospitals, as they provide critical resources to the community and provide essential and necessary services. This abrupt loss of some services required an immediate shift in thinking and an innovative approach to find solutions to continue providing essential health care services to those in need. Consequently, telehealth and telemedicine became necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth allowed some health care workers a means of working remotely during the pandemic, while telemedicine allowed clinicians to safely meet with patients and comply with social distancing guidelines, especially when providing nonemergency care. In March 2020, the federal government eased many restrictions that had previously made the use of telemedicine cumbersome. These changes, in conjunction with the need to avoid unnecessary interactions to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, accelerated the adoption of the telemedicine platforms during 2020 and into 2021, and this was particularly true in the field of mental health. While there are major benefits to the use of telemedicine, critics are justified in noting that it remains an
untested medium and that issues of accessibility, privacy concerns, and quality of care remain among the most notable reasons why it should be considered one tool among many rather than a panacea.