Are you trying to understand more about telepsychiatry to see if it’s a good fit for you or your child? This article will briefly describe what telepsychiatry is, the patient benefits of telepsychiatry, the overall effectiveness of telepsychiatry, and limitations. We highlight the particular benefit of telepsychiatry for children and teens.
What Is Telepsychiatry?
The Benefits of Telepsychiatry
How Effective is Telepsychiatry? The Research.
Limitations of Telepsychiatry
Telepsychiatry Process
Conclusion
What is Telepsychiatry?
Telepsychiatry is quite similar to traditional psychiatry, however, it utilizes technology and allows psychiatrists to connect with their patients over the phone and/or video platforms. Telepsychiatry services provided may include:
- Psychiatric Evaluations
- Therapy
- Medication Management
The benefits of telepsychiatry are explained in more detail below.
Benefits of Telepsychiatry
Many individuals choose telepsychiatry over in person office visits for a variety of reasons.
- Convenience. Traveling to a clinic often takes 1-2 hours of a person’s day. Telemedicine eliminates the need to travel to a physical location. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with mobility issues, transportation challenges, or busy schedules. Telepsychiatry can help limit absence from work or school.
- Privacy and Comfort: Some patients, particularly children and teens, may feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics from the comfort of their home. This can facilitate more open and honest communication with the practitioner and thus better patient outcomes. If a patient feels stigma going into a psychiatric clinic, telepsych care can eliminate that barrier.
- Accessibility: Telepsychiatry can bridge the gap for individuals living in remote or underserved areas where access to psychiatric care may be limited.
- Cost Savings: Telemedicine eliminates costs of transportation and can reduce time away from work (and thus lost income).
- Goodness of fit. Finding a therapist or psychiatrist you connect well with can be challenging, especially with the shortage of psychiatrists. Telemedicine offers more provider options than you would have in-person, particularly in remote or underserved areas.
- Reduction of psychiatric admissions. A study found that by providing access to earlier care through telepsychiatry, there was a reduction in psychiatric admissions.
How Effective is Telepsychiatry? | The Research
You might be wondering, does seeing a psychiatrist or therapist in-person provide any benefit over seeing a provider virtually via telepsychiatry? The research shows there is little difference in effectiveness between virtual and in-person psychiatric care.
Patient Satisfaction in Telepsychiatry
A thematic review published in 2023 notes high patient satisfaction with virtual psychiatry care. Satisfaction was particularly high among youth and adolescents. This could be due to:
- The familiarity and comfort this age group has with digital technology
- Comfort in discussing sensitive topics from the privacy and security of home.
Diagnostic Reliability in Telepsychiatry
Some patients may have concerns that telepsychiatry is not as accurate as in person care. However, this study found high rates of diagnostic reliability between in-person and telepsychiatry. In other words, a provider was equally as able to correctly diagnose a psychiatric condition in-person or via telepsychiatry.
Clinical Outcomes in Telepsychiatry
Finally, the authors of the thematic review note that the reduction of symptoms of mental illness and improved functioning are equivalent between virtual and in person care. They note that particularly, with depression, telepsychiatry care can improve medication adherence and quality-of-life scoring.
Limitations of Telepsychiatry
While the benefits seem to outweigh the challenges, there are limitations of telepsychiatry. The primary limitation of telepsychiatry comes down to technology difficulties. Lack of audio quality and poor internet connection are the main areas of concern. In preparation for your telepsychiatry appointment it is always a good idea to check the device you plan to use. For example, making sure your phone microphone, or computer camera are in good working condition.
Additionally, there can be some instances, such as acute episodes of psychosis or severe ADHD, that may benefit more from in person care.
Finally, though being at home can be comforting, it may also be challenging to find a private and quiet area, which can be a barrier to telepsychiatry.
Telepsychiatry Process
At A Better Day Psychiatry, we offer a free 15 minute consultation, or you can schedule your telepsychiatry appointment directly. On the day of your appointment you will be sent a link for the appointment which will take place via video call, which is secure and private. Please let us know if you are unable to access a camera and we can accommodate you accordingly.
Going from there, expect your appointment to be similar to an in-person psychiatric appointment. You are able to talk to your provider about any questions or concerns you might have as well as discuss medication management.
Conclusion
There are benefits and limitations to telepsychiatry, but the benefits seem to outweigh the challenges for most patients. When considering telepsychiatry, take into account the limitations and assess whether or not these limitations apply to you or your child. You can also consider how the benefits would impact you, and if they outweigh your concerns. Finally, if you are on the fence about the decision, remember, there is no harm in trying telepsychiatry. If you decide you do not like it, you always have an option to discontinue care and move to an in-person care model.