Incorporation of Telepsychiatry for Patients with Developmental Disorders into Routine Clinical Practice-A Survey of Specialty Clinics Adapting to Telepsychiatry During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2020, a nationwide shift to telepsychiatry occurred in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and lockdowns. To assess the rates of telepsychiatry appointment attendance pre- and post-lockdown, we conducted a national, multi-site survey of appointments in 2020 compared to a similar time period in 2019, at outpatient child psychiatry clinics that specialize in the treatment of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Developmental Disabilities (DD). ASD/DD clinics rapidly shifted to telepsychiatry, returning to pre-pandemic appointment numbers and completion rates within months. We advocate for the continued funding of this care model, discuss the substantial benefits physicians, patients and families have found in using telepsychiatry, and suggest ways to improve future access for ASD/DD telepsychiatry.

Ethical and Clinical Considerations During the Coronavirus Era.

The practice of child and adolescent psychiatry is evolving during an unprecedented global health catastrophe, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As child and adolescent psychiatrists grapple with COVID-19's enormous medical, educational, social, and economic toll, a mental health crisis is co-occurring. Pre-existing disparities are recognized as contributors to the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic minorities.1 The magnitude of COVID-19's effects on child and family mental health has yet to be fully revealed. child and adolescent psychiatrists are in a unique position to address this mental health crisis. Child and adolescent psychiatrists must stay up-to-date regarding federal, state, local, and institutional mandates, regulations, and policies informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention2 and other public health institutions, while also navigating the ethical dilemmas unique to child and adolescent psychiatry during the coronavirus era.