D. Mucic, Denmark

little prince treatment centre telepsychiatry

Presenter of 2 Presentations

Oral Communications (ID 1110) AS10. E-mental Health

O119 - “Telepsychiatry: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Date
Sat, 10.04.2021
Session Time
07:00 - 21:00
Room
On Demand
Lecture Time
01:00 - 01:12
Presenter

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Under the umbrella of e-Mental Health (eMH), Telepsychiatry (TP) keeps its place as the oldest and best-documented application. Legislative issues, and the concerns related to the quality of care and patient safety, have kept TP from broader adoption. COVID19 pandemic seems to be a turning point for TP as well as for the eMH in general. The use of TP has exploded as many regulatory barriers to its use have been temporarily lowered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What has to be done to sustain this momentum?

Objectives

-outline temporary changes in TP regulations made due to COVID19;

-discuss which of these should be maintained, modified, or reversed;

-suggest additional initiatives needed to facilitate patient and professional use of digital technology.

Methods

Examination of the use of digital technology in the light of regulatory, legislative, and other changes and initiatives made due to COVID 19.

Results

Among several policy changes, the most important is e.g. removal of the “originating site” rule so professionals can be paid for a remote appointment wherever the patient is, including in the patient’s home.

Further, professionals were allowed to serve patients through everyday communication technologies such as FaceTime, WhatsApp, Viber, or Skype, all compromising patient/data safety.

Conclusions

EPA is perfectly positioned to be the frontrunner for the required initiatives i.e. mandatory lectures related to eMH at medical educational institutions, launching of TP-competency training of mental health professionals, regulatory and statutory changes e.g. unified licensure regulations, etc that are crucial for modernizing mental health care delivery and preparation for future unprecedented events.

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Oral Communications (ID 1110) AS17. Guidelines/Guidance

O159 - WPA Global Guidelines for Telepsychiatry

Date
Sat, 10.04.2021
Session Time
07:00 - 21:00
Room
On Demand
Lecture Time
06:48 - 07:00
Presenter

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The current pandemic has only confirmed the need for international collaboration and more extended use of telepsychiatry than before. Unfortunately, regulatory constraints and lack of standardization are posing significant barriers to the internationalization of telepsychiatry. A need for global guidelines and service standardizations is of utmost importance in this rapidly growing but not yet well-established field. By mastering telepsychiatry, the professionals also may enable the remote provision of other eMH approaches complementary to well-known, traditional service(s). However, first, one ought to become familiar with the basics of telepsychiatry. Globally standardized telepsychiatric service and uniform regulations are prerequisites for fruitful international cooperation.

Objectives

- to present the main objectives and messages of the WPA Global Guidelines for Telepsychiatry.

Methods

A structured review of the main challenges, innovations, and settings in the first Global Guidelines for Telepsychiatry, published by WPA.

Results

With proper preparation and thoughtful risk management, telepsychiatry can be an invaluable tool for allowing greater access to care. However, certain prerequisites must be fulfilled to achieve the desired goals. These prerequisites are e.g. choice of the technology, settings, patient/provider preferences as well as competencies and skills, all outlined in this document.

Conclusions

This WPA document may pave the way for the development of global regulations in order to break down the barriers of accessibility for both the professionals as well as for the patients worldwide. Further, it may help professionals in setting up a standardized telepsychiatry service(s) in addition to the existing mental health system(s).

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