IT is easy as 1-2-3 to be seen by WellSouth mental health clinician Debbie Cartwright — answer a phone call and within seconds you are in a secure online consultation.
Ms Cartwright, of Dunedin, along with most of New Zealand’s medical staff, is seeing her clients remotely rather than in person.
"It has proven very easy, and the clients have adapted well," Ms Cartwright said.
Ironically, the increased stress provoked by the Covid-19 scare has had beneficial effects for some of her clients as it has dwarfed their previous concerns.
"A lot of people feel like the stress in their lives has been reduced and they’re actually feeling really good," Ms Cartwright said.
"I do wonder, though, what that will look like by week three or week four, but people are quite creative and adaptable and are always working out new ways of staying connected."
Telehealth is not a perfect fit for mental health consultations, where a clinician can obtain valuable diagnostic clues from body language as well as what their patients are telling them.
However, in a Level 4 Covid-19 situation, where many people’s anxiety issues were heightened, any counselling or therapy was better than none, Ms Cartwright said.
"With some difficulties like social anxiety or agoraphobia it is good to have people come in to the clinic because that is a therapeutic task all by itself, so there are some limitations like that, or when teaching relaxation exercises.
"But there is so much available on YouTube now that people can access that we aren’t being restricted too much."
Mental health services are regarded as essential, and can still be accessed through a GP referral, as was the case before Level 4 restrictions came in to place.
"I am working from home now so it has required quite a bit of furniture moving and some conversations with neighbours around music and noise; there wasn’t a lot, but basic things like that," Ms Cartwright said.
"I’m not used to being home during the day so that has taken a bit of a mind shift; my commute to work is now literally three steps."
Wanaka GP Andrew McLeod said it had been a rapid and interesting transition.
"It is amazing how a crisis means people just break down barriers and get on with it," he said.
"We have been moving towards healthcare homes, which we are a very enthusiastic participant in, and part of that is to provide other options to patients other than face-to-face consultations, so we had the structure in place ...
"It has ended up being the ideal platform for us to move to remote consulting with people."
Like all GP clinics, Wanaka Medical is open to customers whom doctors feel they need to see in person.
However, the building is now divided into patient and staff zones, and those patients who are to be seen by doctors are not allowed to mingle with others.
"It is a novelty for our waiting room to be empty, it’s now a meeting space rather than somewhere where patients are — it’s somewhat eerie, really."
The precautions are not due to being overzealous. The Wanaka A&P show was attended by people who were also at the World Hereford Conference at Queenstown, one of the 10 Covid-19 clusters across the country.
"People have been very good. We haven’t seen inappropriate or unreasonable concerns from people. It has been busy but people have come in when it has been appropriate and I am very impressed with the way people have conducted themselves," Dr McLeod said.
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Interesting that noise gets a mention, especially now as we all remain at home. Walking around our immediate neighbourhood yesterday. The biggest offender by far, bass from loud music. I really feel for those 'imprisoned' in the neighbouring houses. In other parts of the streets, music was playing, but the bass not turned up, the difference is amazing. That thumping of bass literally goes through your body, really unpleasant, and in fact, over an extended period of time could surely activate some mental conditions. It's one of those sounds, that no matter what you do, you can't escape it.
Bass is percussion, not 'noise'. It is dwarfed by home engines, skill saws and leaf blowers.
Bass is actually a low frequency tone, a tone that emits a sound, a sound can be heard. That tone can be created by percussion, but it's the low frequency tone that is the source of the sound, For the point of clarity in reference to the above article, I referred to it as noise. When someone calls 'Noise Conrol' about loud bass music, they are calling because the 'noise' of the 'bass' has become an issue. They don't call 'Bass Control'.
No one would bother running an engine, skill saw or leaf blower in the middle of the night to 'dwarf' the sound of bass would they? No normal person anyway.
But thank you Hill, appreciate your correction of my oversight, The hair you chose to split has been addressed. I shall be more selective in choosing my words next time.