Boarded up dorms, closed classrooms, and emptied student life calendars—COVID-19 instantaneously shuttered what used to be a vibrant mecca of social life, sending nearly 250 million college and university students to online classes. The absence of beloved social circles has not come without consequence to coeds: in fact, 81% of students report increased stress levels during quarantine. Mental health professionals employed by universities and colleges feel coronavirus mandates disproportionately affect student patients, compelling them to come up with new and creative ways to remotely connect with the student body. Why is it so important that we use new technologies to support college students during these trying times? In the last five years, students experiencing challenges in mental health have increased by nearly 40%. Closed campus housing returned young academics to their childhood homes. Troubled students, welcomed into the arms of higher education, were instantaneously removed from a safe haven by the mandates incurred by “flattening the curve.” For many students, campus services are their only option for mental health treatment. Without the grounding and organization of student life, coeds suffer a significant decline in mental health left unchecked. Colleges are hurrying to implement new methods to help them proactively handle student concerns from afar and transform into a smart campus. How can technology help mental health professionals working in higher-ed institutions tend to students during these unprecedented times?
Digital tools provide remote visibility into patient records
Stringent privacy laws and regulations govern the protection of health records.These regulations discourage many professionals from digitizing their records, making it a challenge for university mental health teams to securely exchange information or view patient records when away from the office. A of student records can improve proactive patient monitoring. New advances in cloud-based technology can create an ultra-secure lockbox for patient records, allowing mental health teams to review statuses and assess the need for phone or video appointments. Using the right systems, mental health professionals can easily chime in or check in on patient records, no matter where they are located in the world.
