Asynchronous telepsychiatry: Increasing mental health care capacity

With many health care systems and rural regions facing apparent shortages of psychiatric clinicians, a new pilot study suggests that asynchronous telepsychiatry may be an effective method for increasing clinical capacity.

Researchers from UC Davis worked with clinicians in underserved Tulare County California, to video-record 30 minute structured interviews with 60 patients suspected of suffering from a range of mild to moderate mental health conditions.  After viewing the recordings, psychiatrists practicing some 200 miles away were able to make diagnosis with a high level of confidence for all but one patient, who was referred to a face-to-face consultation for assessment for a possibly more severe condition. Recordings were uploaded to a purpose built, web-based health care portal designed to meet HIPAA privacy regulations. Of 51 diagnoses assessed, the most common were mood disorders, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. In this study setting remote diagnoses were provided within 2 weeks, study authors assert that the turn-around could be reduced to 24 hours if the technology were used in actual practice. The study was funded by Blue Shield of California.

While its always preferable to have a mental health provider available "in the flesh," this isn't always possible. And in cases where health care systems lack this capacity, asynchronous telepsychiatry might just help meet unmet demand for mental health services.

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