title: New directions for telemental health research.
abstract: Although telemental healthcare has been available for many years, is generally accepted as effective, and has steadily growing numbers of consumers and providers, more and better research in this area needs to be done in order to convince insurers, policymakers, and funding agencies that mental healthcare delivered from a distance is at least as good as that delivered face-to-face. Because there is a wide spectrum of potential mental health disorders that might be encountered, there are significant gaps in telemental health research that need to be addressed before payment for services or funding for large-scale studies of this application can be expected. This white paper will review the current state of telemental health research and will offer suggestions for future directions necessary for telemental research to take in order to firmly establish its effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine and Fletcher Allen Health Care, Northeast Telehealth Resource Center, Burlington, Vermont 05401, USA. terry.rabinowitz@vtmednet.org
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rabinowitz
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Neale R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Chumbler
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kobb
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yellowlees
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration*