A child and adolescent psychiatric outreach service for rural New South Wales: a telemedicine pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the feasibility of a tertiary outreach service in child and adolescent psychiatry to two rural health centres in New South Wales, Australia.


METHODS
Following a site visit to Dubbo Hospital and Bourke Hospital, telemedical videoconferencing was provided for 2 h/week for 32 weeks. Details of referrers, patients' diagnosis and outcome, and satisfaction with the service were obtained.


RESULTS
Cases were triaged by a nominated rural adolescent mental health worker. The service provided detailed assessment and management of servere, complex, mental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Fifty-four young people were assessed and 72 joint consultative videoconferencing interviews were undertaken, including 26 initial consultations. Twenty-three initial consultations were undertaken on the visit to the rural centres. Clinical descriptions illustrate the flexibility and sensitivity of the service.


CONCLUSIONS
Telepsychiatry provides access to a flexible, effective tertiary service for those with special, complex needs, including the disadvantaged or isolated. It makes a valuable economic contribution to supporting and educating rural health professionals, thereby enriching rural mental health services.
Dossetor
D R
DR
Department of Psychological Medicine, Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. davidd@nch.edu.au
Nunn
K P
KP
Fairley
M
M
Eggleton
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics; D009517:New South Wales; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000191:economics; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000191:economics