Is Telepsychiatry Effective?

When a mental health care facility is first considering the implementation of a telepsychiatry program, a common concern is whether or not it is effective, and how it stands up to traditional forms of treatment. Research has shown that not only is telepsychiatry effective, but it can also in some cases, be more comfortable for the patient in communicating with the clinician. It’s efficacy coupled with the benefits that innovaTel uniquely has to offer, makes it a smart solution to filling gaps in care at your facility.

The Research

Telepsychiatry and its efficacy have been researched heavily dating back to the late 1990s. According to an article published in the World Journal of Psychiatry, a review conducted for the purpose of evaluating the utility of telehealth-based approaches in delivering mental health-care found there to be high patient satisfaction and evidence that the use of telepsychiatry increased access to high-quality care. The review cross-referenced other reviews, guidelines and original research articles to gain a general consensus on the use and outcomes of telepsychiatry.

Research-data from initial studies found in the works manually searched, compared clinical outcomes between telepsychiatry treatment and traditional in-person treatment found both modalities to be equivalent across diverse populations, age groups, and on a variety of outcome measures. In addition to clinical outcomes, telepsychiatry removes the geographic restrictions from recruiting when local resources are scarce.

Continuity of Care

A common apprehension that people have about using telepsychiatry is whether or not there will be a different standard of care for patients treated remotely than for patients seen in-person. innovaTel clinicians are committed to providing their patients with the best care possible and work hard to create a rapport with them just as they would in-person. Additionally, innovaTel clinicians are provided with support and resources that allow them to solely focus on patient care.

Once a clinician is matched and placed with a mental health care center by innovaTel they become an active member of the clinical staff. The chosen clinician will attend treatment team meetings with your on-site staff and have patients that they see regularly, providing continuity of care; just like the clinicians that practice in-person.

Learn More

If your mental health care facility is ready to establish a successful telepsychiatry program, we invite you to schedule an online meeting with one of our telepsychiatry experts. You can also watch a short video about the process and what to expect here.