Telepsychiatry and Patient Outcomes

When a mental health care facility is first considering the implementation of a telepsychiatry program, many are concerned whether telepsychiatry patient outcomes are equal to patient outcomes with face-to-face treatment. Research has shown that not only is telepsychiatry effective, but it can also be more comfortable for the patient in communicating with the clinician. It’s efficacy combined with the benefits that innovaTel uniquely has to offer, makes it an excellent solution to filling gaps in care at your facility.

Is Telepsychiatry Effective?

Telepsychiatry and its efficacy have been researched heavily dating back to the late 1990s. There is substantial evidence of the effectiveness of telepsychiatry and research has found high rates of patient and clinician satisfaction. According to the American Psychiatric Association, telepsychiatry is equivalent to in-person care in diagnostic accuracy, treatment effectiveness, and quality of care. These findings are consistent with the experience of innovaTel’s clinical team.

innovaTel Strategic Advisory Board Member, Dr. Robert Caudill, shared in a recent article with the APA, “It is naive to say that things are forever changed, but it is hard to see how [psychiatric] practices will ever return to their pre-COVID-19 routines. In-person care, of course, is not going away, but virtual care until now has been clearly underutilized.” He continued, “Nevertheless, the ‘genie is out of the bottle,’ and patients and clinicians who have learned it is not only possible but sometimes even preferable to receive and deliver care from their homes are unlikely to want to go back to the old ways. We’re pulling for the genie on this one.”

Quality 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. The standard of care remains the same with telepsychiatry, the only difference is the modality of treatment.  Additionally, innovaTel clinicians are provided with support and resources that allow them to solely focus on patient care.

Patient Response to Telepsychiatry

Another common question we get about telepsychiatry is if this treatment modality is well received by patients. In our own clinical experience, we have found that an overwhelming majority of patients have had a positive experience with telepsychiatry. However, there are a lot of factors that play a part in creating a positive telepsychiatry experience that patients are satisfied with. In a survey sent out to patients receiving care from an innovaTel clinician, 94% of patients felt that they could speak freely over video.

Learn More

If your organization is interested in partnering with a telepsychiatry provider dedicated to providing long-term clinical solutions, contact one of our telepsychiatry experts today to schedule an online meeting.