The Telepsychiatry Advantage

Managing a psychiatric crisis online is not the same as managing one in person. If a patient is manic, psychotic, intoxicated, or in danger of self-harm, good clinical instincts still matter—but they are not enough on their own.he patient may be in another city. They may be in another state. They may hang up. Calling 911 may not send help to the right place. And in that moment, the clinician cannot afford to be thinking about what to do next.That is why crisis care in telepsychiatry has to begin BEFORE the emergency itself. In this episode of The Telepsychiatry Advantage, Dr. Edward Kaftarian breaks down the pieces clinicians need in place ahead of time — patient location, emergency contacts, local response options, and a clear plan for what happens if the session escalates.He also gets into the clinical side of the moment itself: recognizing when a routine appointment has turned urgent, assessing risk, and knowing when safety has to take priority. It's an important episode with a lot of nuance so make sure you listen all the way through!For more information about Orbit Health, visit us at:https://www.orbithealth.com/

First impressions in telepsychiatry aren’t made when you start speaking—they’re made the moment your video turns on. And for many clinicians, that first impression is working against them.In this episode of The Telepsychiatry Advantage, Dr. Edward Kaftarian breaks down how your virtual setup shapes patient trust before a single word is spoken. Poor lighting that hides your expressions, camera angles that feel disengaged or even condescending, and audio issues that hurt interpretation—these small mistakes quietly erode rapport and impact the entire session.This episode walks through how to fix those problems from the jump so your setup supports the interaction instead of undermining it. Dr. Kaftarian shares his best tips and recommendations on camera, lighting, audio, and more! For more information about Orbit Health, visit us at:https://www.orbithealth.com/

Telepsychiatry isn't just a "nice to have" alternative anymore—for many patients, it’s becoming the default.The field is seeing more patients, more clinicians, and more sessions. The issue is that information on how to actually deliver high-quality care using telepsychiatry has NOT kept up. Many clinicians are still relying on outdated practices, which frankly, don't work as well as they could. That's why I've created The Telepsychiatry Advantage! A podcast where I'll be sharing EVERYTHING I've learned about this industry over my career—no gatekeeping here. I’ll be pulling the most up-to-date research with real-world experience to break down what actually works in practice and, just as importantly, what doesn’t.This is our debut episode, but we'll be here every week with new content. Be sure to subscribe so you can stay up to speed with best practices, avoid common issues, and stay sharp as the field continues to evolve!