How Is Telepsychiatry Revolutionizing Care

Psychiatry is the branch of healthcare devoted to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of mental disorders, related to mood, behaviour, cognition and perceptions. The psychiatric care pathway begins with a case history and/or mental status examination, which leads to a preliminary diagnosis. The next step of the psychiatric care pathway is to confirm the diagnosis using psychological tests and neuroimaging techniques. Mental disorders often fall within a spectrum, and the current definitions used for diagnosis comes form Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 2013. The treatment phase is often a prescription of psychotherapy combined with psychiatric medication. The dosage is updated at regular intervals. However, there are still significant socio-economic barriers to delivering this care pathway to patients. This includes the stigma around mental health which discourages individuals from seeking help, cost of psychiatric care (including lost work hours, childcare, or transportation) and access to competent psychiatric clinics.

Telepsychiatry promises to solve these real-world barriers without further adding a cost of care for the patients. For example, telemedicine can make care accessible to individuals who may not feel comfortable visiting a psychiatrist’s office. Studies show that because of the stigma, patients are more inclined to open up while they’re communicating electronically rather than face-to-face. Telepsychiatry also reduces the cost of care for individuals, since patients don’t lose work hours for transportation or childcare associated with visiting a specialist’s office. Since telepsychiatry platforms are mostly covered by insurance, it also costs the same amount as a conventional doctor’s visit. Another significant impact of telepsychiatry is that can deliver care in remote locations. Rural areas are often understaffed with specialists, and telepsychiatry makes it easier to intervene faster in crisis situations.

The full Forbes article can be viewed at this link.