Telemedicine applications in an integrated mental health service based at a teaching hospital

Psychiatric applications have predominated in Australian telemedicine in recent years. This paper describes the development of the first telemedicine system for an integrated mental health service based at a teaching hospital. Much effort was devoted to training and education for staff. Within about six weeks of the system being installed, over 80% of all clinical administrative staff, from all the mental health disciplines of the integrated service, had completed a formal training programme. Applications within the service included direct clinical work and the use of videoconferencing in preference to standard telephony over short distances. Applications external to the service, over distances of thousands of kilometres, included clinical supervision and teaching. Evaluation is continuing.