Telepsychiatry for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychiatric Conditions

This report examines the use of telepsychiatry for the diagnosis and/or treatment of psychiatric conditions. Other purposes of telepsychiatry are outside the scope of this report.

Telepsychiatry involves the practice of psychiatry through videoconferencing. Some psychiatric patients live too far from the nearest psychiatrist to receive face-to-face care, and telepsychiatry may enable remote care that would otherwise not be performed at all. In patients who are receiving care, the introduction of telepsychiatry offers the potential for reduced costs and higher convenience, primarily via reduced need for travel.

Two care settings apply to telepsychiatry: where the psychiatrist is located, and where the patient is located. Both locations must have videoconferencing systems. Some studies have reported the...