Evaluation of a rural telepsychiatry service

To evaluate a telepsychiatry clinical service to Wagga Wagga in rural New South Wales, comprising a face-to-face interview with a psychiatrist followed by a telepsychiatry interview with a Sydney-based psychiatrist.

Thirty-one patients were referred to a specialist mood disorder clinic in a rural setting for consultation and assessment. A retrospective evaluation was made to determine the acceptance of the teleconferenced psychiatry and face-to-face psychiatry, as well as the overall patient response.

Twenty participants completed all evaluation components. Their results indicated a satisfaction level of 95% with the consultation process as a whole, with 80% happy to use telepsychiatry again and 60% preferring telepsychiatry over travelling to a larger centre for face-to-face consultation. The face-to-face component was satisfactory for 85% of patients while the telepsychiatry component was satisfactory for 72%.

Although face-to-face psychiatry was preferred by this sample, the telepsychiatry component was highly rated and preferred over travel to larger centres for face-to-face consultation, by residents of rural and remote locations. Certain issues are of more concern in telepsychiatry than face-to-face psychiatry, including confidentiality, rapport, explanation and education.