Telepsychiatry in a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service

To carry out a survey on the use of video conferencing equipment by a rural child psychiatric multidisciplinary team and to determine what impact the introduction of this equipment had on service provision.

Several aspects were studied including user satisfaction and estimations of cost saving, on the basis of avoidance of travel to and from the regional base in Galway. A questionnaire was also developed to determine whether alternative contact would have been made if if this new technology were not in place.

The results of the initial six months following commencement were investigated. Use of the equipment was attempted 17 times during this period. Most members of the child psychiatry team participated in its use. Visual problems accounted for 66.7% of reported technical difficulty and 88.9% of users rated their level of satisfaction with the equipment as 'Satisfied' or 'Very Satisfied'.

Apart from the start-up cost implications of installing this equipment, it satisfied its aim of increasing contact between the rural service and St Anne's Children Centre in Galway. The equipment was easy to use and for the most part reliable.