Is Telepsychiatry Equivalent to Face-to-Face Psychiatry? Results From a Randomized Controlled Equivalence Trial

Abstract

Psychiatric consultation and short-term follow-up can be as effective when delivered by telepsychiatry as when provided face to face. These findings do not necessarily mean that other types of mental health services, for example, various types of psychotherapy, are as effective when provided by telepsychiatry.

Telegenetics: a systematic review of telemedicine in genetics services

“…Research in these areas demonstrates that care via telemedicine produces outcomes comparable to those of face-to-face consultations. [13][14][15][16][17] Genetics services are often based on counseling and may therefore also be a specialized field of health care in which telemedicine can be effectively utilized as an alternative to standard face-to-face interactions between health professionals and patients.…”

Strengthening Telepsychiatry’s Role in Clinical Care and Education

“…Indeed, current discussions in integrated behavioral health suggest that telepsychiatry makes more accessible new communityand evidence-based approaches for treating major mental disorders [7] and co-occurring disorders, often through integration with primary care services at Federally Qualified Health Centers, for example. Consultation and follow-up delivered by telepsychiatry was found to produce outcomes equivalent to services provided face-to-face in one Canadian study [6], with telepsychiatry services being at least 10 % less expensive per patient than services provided in person.…”

“…Telepsychiatry has been promoted as a more practical and less expensive way to diagnose and manage mental and substance use disorders in remote communities that may not have a local psychiatrist [6]. Telepsychiatry has been used in the identification and treatment of diverse disorders, for example, psychosocial support and medication management in the care of patients with schizophrenia, group therapy sessions for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, and evaluation and consultation neuropsychology services [1].…”

Remoteness and its impact on the potential for mental health initiatives in criminal courts in Nunavut, Canada

“…Tele-mental health is increasingly used to provide psychiatric services to northern and remote regions generally [12] and is widely considered cost-effective and efficient [13]. In Nunavut, for example, a 2011 pilot programme to provide videoconferencing psychiatric consultation to mental health professionals in remote communities suggests the approach was efficient, cost-effective and user-friendly [14].…”