The use of videoconferencing for mental health services in Finland.
The utilization of telemental health (TMH) services in Finland was surveyed in 2006. In total, 135 health-care units provided responses. Eighty-four responses were received from primary care units (health-care centres and clinics) and eight from other clinics, in all hospital districts. The overall rate of TMH consultations was 4 per 100,000 population. The highest TMH consultation per population ratio, 22 per 100,000, was in northern Finland. Most of the sites used telepsychiatry services for less than 10% of clinical outpatient services. The sites with over 20% utilization of clinical TMH services from all psychiatric consultations were all rural health centres. Compared with Finland, the utilization rates of TMH were higher in Canada; that might be due to differences between the countries in the organization of mental health services in primary and specialized care. In Finland TMH consultations made up only a very small proportion of all mental health services. The use of TMH was particularly common in remote areas; however, there were many rural centres that did not utilize clinical TMH. TMH was widely utilized for continuing and medical education.
Ohinmaa
Arto
A
Institute of Health Economics, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. arto.ohinmaa@ualberta.ca
Roine
Risto
R
Hailey
David
D
Kuusimäki
Marja-Leena
ML
Winblad
Ilkka
I
D005387:Finland; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D049269:Videoconferencing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends