Proferred Psychiatry of Texas

Frequently Asked Questions? 

What is Telemental Health?

Telemental Health is similar to "telemedicine" but you are consulting with a  licensed, certified  mental health professional.  Most mild to moderate psychiatric conditions can be effectively managed through tele-psychiatric consultations. This is offered to you in the comfort of your home, office or wherever life takes you through our safe, secure portal. 

Do you offer In-Person Visits?

Yes, Limited In-Person Appointments are Available in the state of  Texas.

Is telepsychiatry an effective alternative to an in-person session?

Numerous studies conducted over the years have demonstrated that telepsychiatry is equivalent to in-person care in diagnostic accuracy, treatment effectiveness, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. A peer-reviewed study we co-authored in the APA’s Journal of Rural Mental Health also showed patients with hybrid telepsychiatry plus in-person visits were seen 7 days faster and were 34% more likely to be seen 1x/month.

What mental healthcare services are offered to patients through telepsychiatry?

Essentially all services that an on-site psychiatrist would provide are offered through telepsychiatry. This includes administering comprehensive intake assessments, psychiatric evaluations, and medication management.

Are patients comfortable with receiving mental health care virtually?

Yes. Telepsychiatry allows patients to gain access to vital mental health care much faster than in-person care in many situations. Sessions are scheduled within days, eliminating the need to identify a psychiatrist nearby– who may be located hours away, as is the case in many areas – then wait several months for an initial appointment. In addition, many individuals appreciate the privacy and flexibility virtual care affords. 

Where do patients receive services?

Through a HIPAA-compliant video software for intake and follow-up appointments. Limited In-Person Appointments are Available in the State of  Texas.

What Ages Do You Treat?

We treat ages 21+

Do you treat Anxiety? 

Yes. However,  treatment plans with long term  benzodiazepines/controlled substances are prohibited in this practice. 

Do you prescribe medications for ADD/ADHD?

Yes. We utilize other FDA approved medications with indications for ADD/ADHD. We do require psychometric and urine drug testing prior to treatment. 

Which EMR and video conferencing software is used?

Providers working with Proferred Psychiatry have the option of using their existing and video conferencing software or using our ICANOTEs, DoxyMe or Grow Therapy platforms. These platforms are secure and HIPAA-compliant video and EMR platforms with a robust set of features including tools for patient scheduling, documentation, e-prescribing, and workflow automation.. 

What Forms of Technology-Assisted Media are Utilized?

Email: We utilize a secure email platform that is hosted by Google Suites for Healthcare with Paubox encryption services. We have chosen this technology because it is encrypted to the federal standard, HIPAA compatible, and has signed a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA). The BAA means that the companies are willing to attest to HIPAA compliance and assume responsibility for keeping your PHI secure.

          If we choose to utilize emailing as part of the services you receive from us (to provide/receive clinical information and to receive psychological evaluation reports), we encourage you to also utilize encrypted email for protection on your end otherwise, when you reply to one of your clinician's emails, everything you write in addition to what he/she has written to you (unless you remove it) will no longer be secure. Our encrypted email service only works to send information and does not govern what happens on your end.

         We also strongly suggest that you only communicate through a device that you know is safe and technologically secure (e.g., has a firewall, anti-virus software installed, is password-protected, not accessing the internet through a public wireless network, etc.). If you are in a crisis, please do not communicate this to us via email because we may not see it in a timely matter. Instead, please see below under "Emergency Procedures."

         Email is billed at your clinician's hourly rate for the time she or he spends reading and responding to them. Finally, you also need to know that we are required to keep a copy or summary of all email as part of your clinical record that address anything related to therapy.

Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram: It is our policy not to accept "friend" or "connection" requests from any current or former client on any of our clinician's personal social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. because it may compromise your confidentiality and blur the boundaries of your relationship. 

Electronic Record Storage: Your communications with us will become part of a clinical record of treatment, and it is referred to as Protected Health Information (PHI). Your communications with us will become part of a clinical record of treatment, and it is referred to as Protected Health Information (PHI). 

Electronic Transfer of PHI for Billing Purposes: If your clinician is credentialed with and a provider for your insurance carrier, please know that we utilize a billing service, who has access to your PHI. Your PHI will be securely transferred electronically to your insurance carrier. This billing company has signed a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA). The BAA ensures that they will maintain the confidentiality of your PHI in a HIPAA compatible secure format using point-to-point with federally approved encryption. Additionally, if your insurance provider is billed, you will generally receive correspondence from your insurance company, our billing company, or both.

Electronic Transfer of PHI for Certain Credit Card Transactions: We utilize ICANotes as the company that processes your credit card information. Additionally, please be aware that the transaction will also appear on your credit card bill or statement.