The discussion on our latest podcast explores how virtual ADHD care is breaking down barriers for patients and providers – the ways telehealth providers can expand reach without sacrificing quality.
You’ll hear first-hand how technology, affordability considerations, and clinician choices are shaping mental health care and why virtual care is here to stay. Watch the full episode below.
Speaker info:
Katie Hathaway: Development Manager, Qbtech
Charlotte Coates: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Founder & Clinical Lead, Legion Health
Danielle Vaeth: Head of Strategic Market Development, Qbtech
Why adopt a fully telehealth care pathway?
“It’s a no brainer for us to incorporate virtual ADHD testing and care into our pathway”
Charlotte explains that the virtual ADHD care pathway isn’t “radically different from a really good evidence-based outpatient psychiatry care pathway” and is now a staple of mental health treatment.
She emphasized that the goal is not to sacrifice quality but to add it through accessibility. Many patients, particularly those with ADHD, face extra barriers such as stigma, cost, and limited availability.
Telehealth has become embedded across the full spectrum of care. It hasn’t just grown but is being used in a variety of ways including diagnosis and treatment management.
What is the impact of virtual care on patient experience?
Charlotte noted that some patients, especially in rural areas, simply can’t access ADHD treatment without virtual care. There are cases where primary care physicians recognize ADHD but lack the time, expertise, or tools to diagnose and treat it.
Danielle added that the core driver for virtual adoption is “improving access, accessibility, and giving patients a choice and clinicians a choice.”
Virtual models have increased attendance rates. Being able to attend appointments from home is particularly valuable for parents and children, rural residents, and underserved populations – helping providers use their time more efficiently.
Does virtual care expand provider options?
Virtual care unlocks access to a wider pool of clinicians, countering shortages that can delay care for months.
Offering virtual or hybrid options is now essential for attracting and retaining providers, Charlotte added: “If you’re not offering virtual care models to providers, you’re not going to attract many providers.”
In-person visits are still important for a lot of patients, but choice is extremely important. Telehealth “levels the playing field for clinicians” by reducing administrative burden and supporting skill development and human care.
What is the role of technology and AI in virtual care?
Technology enables measurement-based care and getting data in between visits, opening multiple ways for patient communication, and real-time monitoring.
Danielle pointed to the importance of holistic patient views, standardization, and using AI as a co-pilot in diagnosis and treatment. It should support, not replace, clinician judgment.
On balancing automation with personalized care, Charlotte said: “We will have these care journeys that are really standardized…we will also have this amazing clinician subjectivity that is really guided and co-piloted by technology. But [it] preserves the ability to have really personalized care journeys.”
Strengthening trust and engagement with virtual care
Charlotte explains that nurse practitioners often consider a patient’s financial situation in treatment planning – even timing copays around paydays. While this shows deep patient care, she acknowledged it’s an undue burden on providers.
Better data could help clinicians make cost-conscious decisions without compromising care. Virtual care also gives patients more access to their own data, empowering them to track symptoms and see progress, which strengthens trust and engagement.
Danielle shared that Qbtech’s visual, data-driven tools can act as “anchor points” for conversations between multiple care providers, improving coordination – such as the test reports from QbCheck.
Charlotte said: “We don't want to gatekeeper the data and the evidence behind why we're making treatment decisions. We want the patients to be making those decisions with us… this is one thing that we've noticed with QbCheck specifically, is that when patients can actually visualize their symptoms as quantifiable data, they understand them much better and they can start to track them on their own.”
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