Telepsychiatry evaluation in the north-west of England: preliminary results of a qualitative study.
A telepsychiatry referral service for patients suffering from anxiety and depression was evaluated from a user perspective. Low-cost video-phones linked a psychiatrist to two general practices in the north-west of England. Quantitative data were collected using a semistructured interview schedule. Twenty-two patients and 13 doctors were interviewed after a video-link consultation. Some users were very positive about the service and recognized its potential benefits, while others were more ambivalent. Patients saw the service as a means of obtaining additional 'expert' advice. General practitioners felt that the service might adversely affect the doctor-patient relationship in psychiatry. Both patients and clinicians recognized that the video-link modified normal interaction. Users need to adapt to this form of communication. An induction session is recommended for both patients and clinicians.
May
C
C
School of Primary Care, University of Manchester, UK.
Gask
L
L
Ellis
N
N
Atkinson
T
T
Mair
F
F
Smith
C
C
Pidd
S
S
Esmail
A
A
D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards*; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000592:standards*