A telepsychiatry transition clinic: the first 12 months experience

To improve the management of soldiers with combat-related mental health problems, an interdisciplinary telepsychiatry service was established between a clinic at the Fort Bragg army base and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Salem. In the first 12 months of operation, 120 soldiers (105 males) were seen in a total of 394 telepsychiatry sessions. The time spent on telepsychiatry by the six VA psychiatrists increased from 13 hours in the first month to 41 hours in the twelfth month. The number of telepsychiatry sessions increased from nine in the first month to 56 in the twelfth month. The mean global assessment of function score (GAF) in the soldiers increased significantly (P < 0.001) from 58.0 at intake to 62.3 at the last visit. Soldiers received VA telepsychiatry on average 22 days after the initial consultation with a primary care provider, a reduction of at least eight days compared to the previous delay. The majority of soldiers (89%) who were treated by VA psychiatrists enrolled in the VA within about six months of discharge. Similar VA-US Military collaborations may prove beneficial for other military bases that have returning combat soldiers.