| In the age of the Internet, identifying and monitoring | | | | Medical records in mental health can also be |
| mental health problems has, to a certain extent, | | | | formatted and streamlined to the required Federal |
| become something one can do at home. This does | | | | standards by using specialized software. Mental health |
| not mean that complete mental health treatment is | | | | software also helps mental health professionals in |
| available via cyberspace. However, the lacuna of | | | | scanning and matching mental disorders to |
| general awareness that existed until only ten years | | | | appropriate medications and maintaining billing flow |
| ago has been filled by readily available information on | | | | charts. |
| the Internet. | | | | Owing to the exceptional confidentiality parameters |
| Mental health software is a great self-help tool, but | | | | surrounding professional mental healthcare, software |
| its scope in that field is necessarily limited. Accurate | | | | packages for practitioners now also include features |
| diagnoses and therapeutic measures will remain the | | | | to hide PHI (Protected Health Information) from |
| exclusive domain of mental health professionals. | | | | anything but authorized eyes. This is especially useful |
| In that respect and to such practitioners, mental | | | | for individual practitioners who do not have the |
| health software is a genuine boon. It is useful in | | | | benefits of a full-fledged clinic's security measures at |
| assisting clinicians in maintaining updated case histories | | | | their disposal. |
| and records. This is very important because of the | | | | Mental health software also helps clinicians in |
| high rate of litigation associated with mental health | | | | maintaining comprehensive appointment schedules. |
| cases in America today. Psychiatrists are often called | | | | Since a psychiatrist or psychologist might have as |
| upon to testify on the state of a defendant's mental | | | | many as twelve fifty-minute appointments in a single |
| health status. In such cases, easy retrieval of records | | | | day, this is a major advantage to them. |
| is of the essence. | | | | |