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.

Lessons Learned in Prison and Jail-Based Telepsychiatry.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this article is to review the unique benefits and challenges of implementing telepsychiatry in correctional facilities. RECENT FINDINGS: Telepsychiatry has been shown to be an effective mode of patient care delivery in jails and prisons. Psychiatry staffing shortages nationwide are impacting the ability of correctional facilities to provide sufficient psychiatric care to inmates. However, telepsychiatry has helped alleviate the staffing shortages. Correctional facilities are obligated to provide adequate psychiatry services to inmates in need of them. Unfortunately, many facilities are not able to recruit sufficient numbers of psychiatrists due to the nationwide shortage of doctors. Telepsychiatry is a way to meet these needs by providing services remotely. Telepsychiatry is an attractive option for providers who want to avoid some of the less pleasant aspects of working in a jail or prison. Also, telepsychiatry offers unique advantages to the way care can be given. However, there are also aspects of this mode of healthcare delivery that require systems to be thoughtful about how the doctor can best be integrated into the treatment team and the facility at large.

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.