A promising future for tele-mental health in Oman: A qualitative exploration of clients and therapists’ experiences

Abstract

Objectives: Tele-mental health services can play an important role in overcoming barriers in mental health services in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. However, despite its potential, tele-mental health has not been widely adopted in Oman. This study is an exploratory investigation into the experiences of therapists and their clients in utilizing video-based tele-mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 19 semistructured qualitative interviews were individually conducted, it included 13 adult clients with mental health conditions who received video-based tele-mental health care and six clinical psychologists who provided video-based tele-mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The clients reported favorable experiences using tele-mental health, with the primary benefits being convenience, easy accessibility to subspecialized care, reduced absenteeism from work with commuting costs, and alleviated mental health stigma. The therapists also expressed experiencing benefits from tele-mental health, such as reduced risk of intrahospital infection, reduced healthcare costs, and the achievement of work-life balance. Primary concerns were related to the lack of public tele-mental health services, lack of specified tele-mental health guidelines, shortage of trained therapists, limited access to high-speed Internet, electronic devices, privacy, and concerns toward the security of telehealth systems in general. Conclusion: Clients and therapists report that tele-mental health offers new opportunities to improve the quality of mental healthcare services in Oman, and that the challenges could be resolved by establishing governmental tele-mental health services along with developing tele-mental health guidelines and implementing local postgraduate clinical psychology programs in universities in Oman.

Are we ready for Telepsychiatry? Benefits and challenges of digital psychotherapy

“…Longdistance travel to the facility obliges patients to pay high commuting costs. In a study by Al-Mahrouqi, respondents cited the most important advantages of telepsychiatry: reduced commuting costs and no time off work to get to medical appointments [39]. Similar results were obtained by Benudis et al In their study, the authors showed that patients cited the lack of travel and the associated significant cost reduction as one of the most important benefits of telehealth [28,40].…”

Patient and provider perspectives of the implementation of remote consultations for community-dwelling people with mental health conditions: A systematic mixed studies review

“…Another provider noted that not being able to smell one of their patients limited their assessment ability; “There may be something about cleanliness and, what can I say, if a person does not take care of himself it can be a sign of, for example, depression.” ( Gullslett et al, 2021 ). The lack of available guidance and guidelines for conducting remote assessments was recognised as a limitation by some providers ( Al-Mahrouqi et al, 2022 ; Romanchych et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Furthermore, participants reported that remote consultation removed the psychological barriers of stigma ( Al-Mahrouqi et al, 2022 ; Ashcroft et al, 2021 ) and anxiety ( Frayn et al, 2021 ; Gullslett et al, 2021 ) that they associated with attending in-person consultations. A provider in one study elaborated that patients find it “less stigmatizing … they don't have to worry about running into anyone” ( Ashcroft et al, 2021 ).…”

“…In contrast, providers reported that younger patients, such as adolescents, were comfortable with technology, and were able to exert control over what they chose to display on the consultation. Finally, it was reported by some participants that patients were more relaxed in their own environments and therefore more forthcoming ( Guinart et al, 2020 ; Uscher-Pines et al, 2020 ), and felt self-empowered participating from their home ( Al-Mahrouqi et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Similarly, providers and patients expressed concern that insurance companies would not continue to reimburse for remote consultations or may begin to bill at different rates. Patients in one study were particularly concerned about the high cost of remote consultations within the private sector ( Al-Mahrouqi et al, 2022 ). The lack of clarity surrounding these issues led to a sense of uncertainty about the future of remote consultations ( Aronowitz et al, 2021 ).…”