Integrating Videoconferencing Into Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Practical Strategies With Case...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Digital Health
• Mental Health Treatment

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating condition with significant societal impact.
• Access to evidence-based treatments like psychopharmacology and exposure with response/ritual prevention (EX/RP) is often limited.
• Digital health technologies, particularly videoconferencing, present opportunities to improve treatment accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe practical strategies for integrating videoconferencing into OCD treatment.
• To share experiences from a specialized center on utilizing videoconferencing-assisted interventions.
• To explore various applications of videoconferencing in delivering OCD care.

Main Methods:

• A case series approach was employed.
• Faculty experiences at the Center for OCD and Related Disorders were documented.
• Five distinct methods of incorporating videoconferencing were identified and described.

Main Results:

• Videoconferencing can be used for hybrid in-person/remote EX/RP.
• Fully remote EX/RP is a viable treatment modality.
• Videoconferencing facilitates psychopharmacology, support groups, and clinical supervision for OCD.

Conclusions:

• Videoconferencing offers versatile applications for enhancing OCD treatment delivery.
• Successful integration requires careful consideration of advantages, challenges, and clinical factors.
• Further research is needed to optimize videoconferencing-assisted OCD interventions.