Telemedicine and telecare: what can it offer mental health services?

Abstract

With new developments in image generation and transmission, researchers have studied the feasibility of using comunications technology for remote diagnosis and care delivery. The term ‘telepsychiatry’ has been used to describe the application of telemedicine and telecare to mental health. This article reviews the development of telepsychiatry and key research findings. Results suggest that service users are more comfortable with mediated services than are professsonals. Most work has been done in areas of low population density, where accessibility to conventional services is limited by economics and geography. In urban settings, with distributed community services, telepsychiatry can improve communication between primary and secondary sectors and within secondary services.

Enhancing psychosocial care for people with cancer in rural communities: what can remote counselling offer?

“…It has been found to be a feasible and satisfactory means of service delivery which allows reliable evaluation and yields positive outcomes in non-cancer populations. 36 Wootton and colleagues have provided a comprehensive overview of "telemedicine", 37 and review articles related to "telepsychiatry" 36,38,39 and "telepsychology" 40 are also available.…”

“…A number of studies have found evidence to support the efficacy and acceptability of videoconferencing for psychiatry. 38,40,[65][66][67] The clinical outcomes literature, although currently small, indicates that telepsychiatry may improve outcomes or stabilise patients with chronic, deteriorating courses. 37 American researchers presented data to demonstrate equivalence in symptom reduction in depression treated by videoconferencing compared with face-to-face treatment.…”

“…39 Most studies have been descriptive, or have methodological problems, including very small sample sizes. 38 Furthermore, a range of financial, technical, administrative, political and clinical barriers can impede successful program implementation and sustainability. 41 Current research does not fully resolve whether patients would prefer the use of videoconferencing over face-to-face services.…”

Internet-Based Support and Coaching for Adolescents and Young Adults with Neuropsychiatric Disorders—The Implementation of an Intervention from an Organizational Perspective

“…Sorting under the umbrella of telemedicine and e-health, the internet-based support and coaching represents a form of distance healthcare [46]. As such it embodies both a method to access health services and a means to deliver such services [47].…”

Psychiatrists and the information age: how we should learn to stop worrying and love the computer

“…NHS Direct and specialist mental health helplines provide an increasingly popular access to care. Mental health professionals are only just beginning to exploit the possibilities this technology offers: there is evidence that professional distaste for telemedicine is not shared by patients (McLaren, 2003).…”