Approximately 10 million adults have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to CHADD, a respected ADHD organization founded in 1987.
Now, some telemedicine services which advertise an easy path to get evaluated for a possible ADHD diagnosis and obtain a prescription, completely virtually, have entered the landscape and some experts and authorities are taking a closer look.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , stimulants, a controlled substance, are the best-known and most widely used medications to treat ADHD.
When not used as prescribed, stimulants can also be misused — as they can be addictive, according to a report done by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Chronic misuse of amphetamines, a category of stimulants that are commonly prescribed for ADHD, and whose effects are similar to cocaine, can produce psychosis, which “is characterized by paranoia, picking at the skin, preoccupation with one’s own thoughts, and auditory and visual hallucinations,” according to DEA .
Health experts, like Dr. Judith Joseph, a board-certified psychiatrist, say telemedicine can be used safely in many medical contexts, but patients should be cautious.
“Telemedicine is really important. It’s a game changer,” said Joseph. “However, when it comes to prescribing medications that are potentially harmful for your health, you really want to be careful.”
Getting a diagnosis and prescription through telemedicine
In order to understand how the online diagnosis and treatment of ADHD may work in some cases, Joseph and “GMA” worked with two patients, initially, one with ADHD and one without. They used the platform Done, which describes itself as “a digital health company that is making high quality psychiatric chronic care management more accessible and affordable for patients.”
Emily has been diagnosed with ADHD and on medication for years, while Madeline has never been diagnosed with ADHD and said she doesn’t have the condition.
Both begin the process by taking a quick two and half minute questionnaire, answered truthfully, before they set up their telemedicine evaluation.