For patients dealing with anxiety, depression, phobia, and other behavioral illnesses, even going out to see a therapist face-to-face can be a real barrier to treatment. iHope Network recognizes this: multiple studies find no-show rates of 10-30% at a typical brick-and-mortar practice, while a recent check of iHope’s online appointments found only 28 no-shows out of 1,247.
iHope connects patients with certified, licensed clinicians who deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) treatment via secure phone and video conferencing. It’s less costly and more convenient than in-person therapy, and for many patients, makes all the difference for treatment. Online homework ensure patients are consistently engaged with their treatment, and iHope offers collaborative care with the patient’s doctor, which has been shown to be the most effective treatment.
Treatment p
rotocols are a unique feature of iHope. These include treatment, homework and supporting materials for different disorders that patients can use as a resource.
For example: a module on depression contains an 8-session protocol, which covers 8 different concrete ways to be less depressed. iHope keeps track of how their patients improve using standardized tools that measure depression, anxiety, and other symptoms.
“These protocols are created at academic research centers. They’re evidence-based, and if your therapist follows them, we expect to see improvement,” says CEO Tom Hunter. “One of the exciting things about iHope is the way we get those protocols out of the academic research center and into practice with the public.”
iHope Network’s CMO and founder, Steven Locke, started iHope with this in mind, wishing to make it easier to deliver new treatment for behavioral disorders to the people who actually benefit from it.
This mission has driven iHope to expand their reach nationally, providing online therapy to states such as New Hampshire, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Here, patients benefit from Telehealth Parity Laws, which dictate that insurance has to pay for therapy online same way as therapy in an office. iHope is currently making headway in Tennessee where they’ve earned a place in Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s competitive Project Healthcare program. They are keenly focused on growth, and providing as many people with access to treatment as possible.
“We have a working platform. We have a plan for how it’s going to evolve and expand and how our technology is going to be upgraded as our patient numbers climb.” Hunter says. “So, for us it’s finding more sources for more referrals, and getting more people into treatment, and growing the clinical team to do that.”
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