Resource Document on Best Practices in Synchronous Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health.

Background: This document represents an updated collaboration between the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) to create a consolidated update of the previous APA and ATA official documents and resources in telemental health, to provide a single guide on clinical best practices for providing mental health services through synchronous videoconference. Methods: A joint writing committee drawn from the APA Committee on Telepsychiatry and the ATA TMH Special Interest Group (TMH SIG). was convened to draft and finalize the guidelines. This document draws directly from the 2018 APA/ATA guide and the ATA s previous guidelines, selecting from key statements/guidelines, consolidating them across documents, and then updating them where indicated. Guideline approval was provided following internal review by the APA, the ATA, the Board of Directors of the ATA, and the Joint Reference Committee of the APA. Results: The guidelines contain requirements, recommendations, and actions that are identified by text containing the keywords "shall," "should," or "may." Conclusions: Compliance with these recommendations will not guarantee accurate diagnoses or successful outcomes. The purpose of this guide is to assist providers in providing effective and safe medical care founded on expert consensus, research evidence, available resources, and patient needs.

Advancing Treatment of Depression and Other Mood Disorders Through Innovative Models of Telepsychiatry.

Rapid changes in health care technology are advancing mental health care. Telepsychiatry, in the form of live interactive videoconferencing, has demonstrated its ability to improve access to high-quality mental health care, specifically in the treatment of patients with depression and mood disorders. This article reviews the advances in telepsychiatry in the treatment of depression and mood disorders. Telepsychiatry is significantly reconfiguring the structures and models of psychiatric care delivery. Such changes include direct-to-home services, blending telepsychiatry with other technologies, and using a team-based care approach. This article also examines the evolving and innovative models of care, synthesizes literature and lessons learned about telehealth, and considers current and future pragmatic implications for the treatment of depression and mood disorders in various clinical settings. Telepsychiatry has an important and expanding role in addressing the individual and societal psychiatric burdens of depression and mood disorders.

Early use of telepsychotherapy in resident continuity clinics-our experience and a review of literature.

Telepsychotherapy is an underutilized tool in training programs, and use of telepsychiatry often occurs in the later years of residency. This study evaluates the feasibility of early exposure to telepsychotherapy in residency continuity clinics and reviews the existing literature on the use of telemedicine in the training of psychiatrists. Feedback from the participating residents and patients was used to determine the benefit of such a training curriculum. The results of the feedback and evidence from the review of literature indicate that the early use of telepsychotherapy should be employed in psychiatric training.

The Bot Will See You Now: A History and Review of Interactive Computerized Mental Health Programs.

The goal of automating complex human activities dates to antiquity. The mental health field has also made use of advances in technology to assist patients in need. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the study of agents that receive percepts from the environment and perform actions. AI is increasingly being incorporated into the development of chatbots that can be deployed in both clinical and nonclinical settings. Chatbots are a computer program that simulates human conversation through voice commands or text chats or both. The collaboration between AI therapists and more traditional providers of such care will only grow.

Practical and Regulatory Considerations of Teleprescribing via CVT.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Clinical video teleconferencing (CVT) represents a robust mechanism for more accessible medical care. Providers who practice medicine via CVT, including teleprescribing, should understand a number of core practical and regulatory factors. This paper aims to review these core factors, such that providers new to CVT may offer teleprescribing services in a manner consistent with current clinical standards and regulatory requirements. RECENT FINDINGS: A number of practical factors relate to the setup and delivery of teleprescribing services that are contextually influenced by federal and state law. This review will elucidate the practical and regulatory factors relevant to teleprescribing and encourage the use of CVT for patient care. Through consideration of these factors, providers may better implement teleprescribing and prepare for future technology and policy changes relevant to practice.

Best Practices in Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health April 2018.

Telemental health, in the form of interactive videoconferencing, has become a critical tool in the delivery of mental health care. It has demonstrated the ability to increase access to and quality of care, and in some settings to do so more effectively than treatment delivered in-person. This article updates and consolidates previous guidance developed by The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and The American Psychiatric Association (APA) on the development, implementation, administration, and provision of telemental health services. The guidance included in this article is intended to assist in the development and delivery of effective and safe telemental health services founded on expert consensus, research evidence, available resources, and patient needs. It is recommended that the material reviewed be contemplated in conjunction with APA and ATA resources, as well as the pertinent literature, for additional details on the topics covered.

Institutionally based videoconferencing.

The delivery of psychiatric care via video-teleconferencing (VTC) technology is thought to have reached a tipping point. As a medical speciality with relatively few material or technical requirements for service delivery, psychiatry has been one of the earliest to embrace the possibility of providing evaluations and treatment at a distance. Such technical infrastructure as is necessary can often be found in the institutions already in existence. It was natural therefore that institutionally based telepsychiatry would lay the foundation for the development of the field. In this article we review the history and development of institutional VTC in a wide variety of clinically supervised settings such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, and forensic settings. We cite evidence supporting institutionally sponsored use and expand on key takeaways for the development and expansion of videoconferencing in these settings. We also speculate on the future direction and development of psychiatric care provided by these arrangements.

A lexicon of assessment and outcome measures for telemental health.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this document is to provide initial recommendations to telemental health (TMH) professionals for the selection of assessment and outcome measures that best reflect the impacts of mental health treatments delivered via live interactive videoconferencing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The guidance provided here was created through an expert consensus process and is in the form of a lexicon focused on identified key TMH outcomes. RESULTS: Each lexical item is elucidated by a definition, recommendations for assessment/measurement, and additional commentary on important considerations. The lexicon is not intended as a current literature review of the field, but rather as a resource to foster increased dialogue, critical analysis, and the development of the science of TMH assessment and evaluation. The intent of this lexicon is to better unify the TMH field by providing a resource to researchers, program managers, funders, regulators and others for assessing outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This document provides overall context for the key aspects of the lexicon.