Using Digital Tools to Reduce Clinician Burnout

In this video filmed at Psych Congress 2025, Steering Committee member Desiree Matthews, PMHNP-BC, discusses the ways in which digital tools can be leveraged to reduce provider burnout. Matthews explores how technology, including telehealth platforms and digital therapeutics, can be used to more efficiently manage heavy caseloads, support staffing needs, and broaden access to effective mental health care. 

For more telehealth insights, visit our Telehealth Excellence Forum.

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Interested in learning more about this topic? Join Desiree and Amber Hoberg, PMHNP-BC, for their session, “The Digital Couch: Enhancing Psychiatric Care Through Telepsychiatry” at Psych Congress NP Institute on March 19 to March 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information and to register, visit the meeting website.

Read the Transcript:

Desiree Matthews, PMHNP-BC: Hi, my name is Desiree Matthews. I'm a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with Different Mental Health Program, a telepsychiatry practice based out of North Carolina.

Psych Congress Network: What tips do you have for clinicians looking to use technology to reduce burnout? 

Matthews: As a healthcare provider, I know and understand that burnout is very much prevalent amongst ourselves and our colleagues. We know that there is such a great mental health need in this country, and oftentimes there's not enough of us to provide the services that our individuals truly need and can benefit from.

We have this supply and demand, and unfortunately, we're really in a shortage in terms of delivering health care, especially mental health. One way we can consider reducing burnout and potentially even improving access to mental health care in this country is utilizing technology. We can think back to what we learned from COVID-19—we pivoted quite quickly, many of us, because we had that urgency to still serve our clients in a safe manner.

When we think about lessons learned from COVID-19, we understood that, yes, we can use technology. I think it really broke down a lot of the myths and misconceptions when it comes to technology. I think the stigma around being older—for instance, that older people can't learn to use technology or are not willing—I think a lot of us were probably surprised to understand that even individuals who were older or Medicare beneficiaries really benefited from the use of telehealth. 

That’s just scratching the surface because with telehealth we were able to get into clinics that were maybe short-staffed at the time, and we can really move our staffing around where the needs are in the moment. If I'm in a rural area, we can recruit help. So that's just 1 example where telehealth, for instance, technology like Zoom and these other telehealth platforms, can really help spread the resources across where they may be needed the most. 

I think another thing that you can think about with integrating technology is the use of digital therapeutics. We understand that there are wellness apps, like our watches for medication reminders, and those can be really helpful. But now in mental health, we've taken it a step further, and we have prescription digital therapies. These are backed by clinical evidence in terms of efficacy, safety, and outcomes. I think this is 1 place where we can really extend the reach—things like a digital therapy called Rejoyn to treat the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) along with oral antidepressants. 

Think about that: I can only see an individual so often. I'm limited by insurance, but also, honestly, let's be real, by caseload. I'm not able to feasibly see somebody every week, but a lot of times I get a lot of portal messages, “I need an appointment, I wish I could see you more often,” but the reality is that we just don't have the resources to go around. So, some of these prescription digital therapeutics can almost be an extension of our therapeutic relationship and can actually be a treatment in their back pocket that they can do on their own time. Oftentimes, my patients will do it in the middle of the night where they wouldn't normally have access to a healthcare provider. 

I think the world is complex, busy, and tech can seem really overwhelming, but it's just about getting your feet wet and getting used to it because now, for a lot of us, telemedicine is just another part of our day, and I hope that's where things like digital prescription therapeutics as a treatment option for our patients will land.

Desiree Matthews, PMHNP-BC, CEO, is a board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with expertise in treating patients living with severe mental illness. Beyond clinical practice, Desiree has provided leadership in advocating for optimal outcomes of patients and elevating healthcare provider education. Desiree is the founder and owner of Different MHP, a telepsychiatry practice founded with the mission of providing affordable, accessible precision focused, integrative psychiatry to patients through a rich and comprehensive mentorship of the health care providers within the company.

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Any views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and/or participants and do not necessarily reflect the views, policy, or position of Psych Congress Network or HMP Global, their employees, and affiliates