Reactions of psychiatric patients to telepsychiatry

Abstract

Telepsychiatry could offer a viable medical service to remote or isolated social communities if it does not generate adverse reactions such as delusional ideation, particularly in patients in settlements without adequate exposure to mainstream culture and internet. We examined subjective reactions to telepsychiatry of randomly selected 84 psychiatric patients from remote locations in Ontario, Canada. They rated the quality of their teleconferencing sessions via 10 item questionnaire and were asked about advantages and disadvantages of telepsychiatry. The majority of patients indicated that they were able to communicate as if physically present (92.9%) and were comfortable with telepsychiatric service (95.2%). They found the sessions as beneficial as direct meetings with their psychiatrist (84.5%) and would use this service again (98.8%). There were no instances of telepsychiatry being associated with adverse reactions in patients from remote communities with inadequate exposure to modern mainstream culture and internet. ResultsThe majority (97.6%) of the patients rated the sound quality as good to excellent and 95.2% gave similar ratings to picture quality. Furthermore, 95.2% of the patients indicated by their ratings that they were comfortable with telepsychiatry service, 92.9% that they were able to communicate adequately, 84.5% of the patients found the sessions as beneficial as a direct physical presence, and 98.8% reported that they would use the service again.

Realizing the promises of telepsychiatry in special populations

“…Virtually all of the patients stated on the survey that they would want to use the telepsychiatric service again in the future. 3 This bodes well for other populations that may benefit from telepsychiatry.…”

“…Reasons for poor access may include disabling medical illness, residence in remote areas, lack of transportation, and cultural barriers like language proficiency or stigmatization of psychiatric disorders. [1][2][3] As such, there are many specific populations that stand to benefit from telepsychiatric services -namely, the elderly, rural residents, recent immigrants, and deployed members of the military. [3][4][5] An important consideration when implementing telepsychiatric care is the likely expectations and reactions of the patients being treated.…”

“…[1][2][3] As such, there are many specific populations that stand to benefit from telepsychiatric services -namely, the elderly, rural residents, recent immigrants, and deployed members of the military. [3][4][5] An important consideration when implementing telepsychiatric care is the likely expectations and reactions of the patients being treated. For example, it is possible that patients experience a stronger therapeutic alliance with face-to-face sessions.…”

Digital psychiatry and COVID-19: the Big Bang effect for the NHS?

“…However, the (few) studies on the topic tend to report overall high levels of satisfaction with digital consultations (22), including for children and adolescents (14,23).…”

Characterizing Family Physicians Who Refer to Telepsychiatry in Ontario

“…1,5,[7][8][9][10] Telepsychiatry, which is the delivery of psychiatry via secure videoconferencing, can reduce access barriers such as distance, cost of travel, weather, and workforce shortages. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] In particular, telepsychiatry can provide access to outpatient psychiatric care for patients who otherwise are not able to easily access services, potentially reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and ED visits. 18,19 Several studies have deemed telepsychiatry effective for various mental health conditions and populations.…”