Telepsychiatry Improves Access To Mental Health Care In Rural Areas

Telepsychiatry improves access to mental health care in rural areas. On average, mental health care consumers in non-metropolitan areas are seen seven days sooner, and are 34% more likely to have regular visits when telepsychiatry is combined with in-person care, compared with those receiving in-person care only.

These findings were reported in "Increasing Access To Rural Mental Health Care Using Hybrid Care That Includes Telepsychiatry" by Sana Khalid, M. Courtney Hughes, Jack M. Gorman, Yingqian Ren, and Carol Clayton for Genoa Healthcare. The researchers analyzed data from 242 Medicaid consumers in rural Missouri following an inpatient admission . . .