Bridging cultures: child psychiatry via videoconferencing

Although telepsychiatry can increase access to care for underserved populations, its use presents challenges to practicing culturally competent care, especially when high degrees of cultural disparity exist between the psychiatrist and the patient and/or family. Psychiatrists delivering care from a distance may be challenged to understand the health beliefs and practices of the local community as well as the social and community settings of clients from different cultural backgrounds. Similarly, because providing services via telepsychiatry typically requires the involvement of different health care organizations, bridging distinct institutional cultures can challenge the effective delivery of services. Cultural awareness and sensitivity from the telepsychiatrist are prerequisites for helping culturally diverse and remote-dwelling patients to access quality care. This article elucidates cultural challenges encountered in the practice of telepsychiatry and offers suggestions for how to deal with them.