COVID-19 medicare benefits schedule telehealth for private psychiatric outpatient care in Victoria, Australia.
Australas Psychiatry
; : 10398562231177822, 2023 May 25.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-20236772
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
We explore telehealth use by private psychiatrists in Victoria during the first 12 months of COVID-19, in the context of COVID-19 case numbers and restrictions; telehealth use in Victoria compared to national use; telehealth and face-to-face consultations during the first 12 months of COVID-19 compared to face-to-face consultations in the 12 months pre-COVID-19.METHOD:
Outpatient psychiatric face-to-face and telehealth consultations, from March 2020 to February 2021 in Victoria, were analysed using face-to-face consultations from March 2019 to February 2020 as a comparison group, and compared to national telehealth use and trends in COVID-19 case rates.RESULTS:
Total psychiatric consultations increased by 16% from March 2020 to February 2021. Telehealth compromised 56% of total, peaking at 70% of consultations in August during the height of COVID-19 cases. Thirty-three percent of total consultations and 59% of telehealth consultations were via telephone. Telehealth consultations per capita in Victoria were consistently lower than the overall Australian level.CONCLUSION:
Telehealth usage during the first 12 months of COVID-19 in Victoria suggests it is a feasible alternative to face-to-face treatment. Telehealth-mediated increases in psychiatric consultations likely indicates an increased psychosocial need for support.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
English
Journal:
Australas Psychiatry
Journal subject:
Psychiatry
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
10398562231177822
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