TELEPSYCHIATRY VS IN-PERSON CONSULTATION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A COMPARISON ACROSS DIAGNOSIS

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Digital Health
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telepsychiatry.
• The comparative effectiveness and patient profiles of telepsychiatry versus in-person consultations remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients seeking telepsychiatry versus in-person consultations during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Main Methods:

• A record-based cross-sectional study was conducted.
• Data from 6048 patients seeking in-person consultation were compared with 2446 patients seeking teleconsultation.
• Sociodemographic (age, gender) and clinical profiles were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Patients with severe mental disorders and substance use disorders were more prevalent in the in-person group.
• Patients with common mental disorders (depression, anxiety, sexual disorders) were more prevalent in the telepsychiatry group.
• These differences were statistically non-significant, as were age and gender variations between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Telepsychiatry can serve as an alternative and innovative method to address the treatment gap in mental healthcare.
• There is a need to expand and strengthen telepsychiatry services for convenient, affordable, and accessible mental healthcare, even post-pandemic.