A study on collaborative telepsychiatric consultations to outpatients of district hospitals of Karnataka, India

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The exponential growth of technology in the past few decades has benefitted the healthcare sector. Telemedicine is a newer advancement which is making healthcare affordable and more accessible to the needy in recent times. This article discusses how to set up telepsychiatry services, the procedure of telepsychiatry consultation, how to record and maintain the electronic health records, the potential challenges, ethical and legal aspects concerning telepsychiatry while ensuring the good practice guidelines, medical ethics, patient rights, and the minimum requirements as established by the Information Technology Act and the telemedicine practice guidelines (TPG) 2020 issued by the Indian Medical Council.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Setting Up and Providing Telepsychiatry Services in India

Ali

Kamila²,

Gowda³

et al. 2020

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“…A retrospective review of case files of patients ( N = 139) who have received collaborative telepsychiatric consultations from January 2013 to June 2017 through videoconferencing at a district hospital in Karnataka has been published recently. 13 In total, 25.9% of the patients had schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, 14.4% had mental retardation, 13.7% had a mood disorder, and 14.4% had a substance use disorder. Regarding the interventions provided, 67.6% received pharmacotherapy, 7.9% received rehabilitation along with pharmacotherapy, while the rest were referred for further evaluation and in-patient care.…”

Section: Review Of Telepsychiatry Models In the Countrymentioning

confidence: 98%

Evolution of Community Telepsychiatry in India Showcasing the SCARF Model

Tharoor

Rangaswamy

2020

“…The feasibility, utility, and acceptability of telepsychiatry services has been demonstrated in recent studies. 25 – 27 Psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery specialists provided tele-neuropsychiatry consultation through Specialist-Doctor-Patient model as part of the state-run program for the two central prisons from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2016. A retrospective file review was done of the tele-neuropsychiatry case records at Tele-Medicine Centre, Located at Tertiary Neuro Psychiatric centre of South India.…”

Section: Geriatric Telepsychiatry In the Indian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geriatric Telepsychiatry: Promoting Access to Geriatric Mental Health Care Beyond the Physical Barriers

Sivakumar

Mukku

Kar

et al. 2020

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Psychiatric illnesses are an important contributor of morbidity and mortality in older adults. There is increase in older adults with psychiatric disorders paralleling their growth in absolute numbers. This leads to challenges in mental health care and service delivery. Several barriers that exists in our community hinder older adults from receiving mental health care. Additionally, lack of adequate human resources in geriatric mental health care compounds the problem. Telemedicine, though not new in other fields of medicine, is relatively new in the practice of psychiatry in India. This is probably due to lack of clear guidelines and regulations regarding the same in India. There is a recent increase in teleconsultations in India similar to other developed countries due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The recent telepsychiatry operational guidelines have made telepsychiatry a legitimate and official practice in India. Challenges specific to older adults in the form of low digital literacy, sensory issues, and cognitive impairment can be overcome by adopting telepsychiatry services in coming years. Concerns related to security and safety of telepsychiatry require further evaluation.