Telepsychiatry, not only for rural populations
Since the early 1990s, telepsychiatry has been accessible to rural and remote populations within Australia.
However, it wasn’t until 2011, when Medicare updated its Benefits Schedule to include telepsychiatry for rural residents that more psychiatrists offered it as part of their services and, as a result, there was greater uptake of the service.
When the pandemic hit, Medicare further widened its policy coverage on telepsychiatry services to include nation-wide access.
Now, a study led by Dr Luke Woon, a PhD candidate at the ANU Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, has found that telepsychiatry has had considerable growth and sustained usage after the Medicare policy changes, even when the effects of pandemic lockdowns were considered.
The study examined Medicare-reimbursed telepsychiatry consultations from 2016 to 2023 and suggests permanent nationwide availability of telepsychiatry, and incentivised bulk-billed telepsychiatry for rural patients, can translate into improved access to psychiatric care, especially for insufficiently engaged populations.
“As more psychiatrists routinely deliver telepsychiatry services, they become more normalised and integrated into day-to-day practice.” Dr Woon advised.
“Apart from the obvious benefits such as time saved from travel or being away from work, nation-wide accessibility has had far-reaching impact beyond rural and regional communities.”
“We’ve heard from psychiatrists that cohorts such as post-partum women, people housebound due to chronic physical health-issues, and those with mental health challenges that find it difficult to leave their home are benefiting from telepsychiatry services.” Dr Woon added.
According to Dr Rebecca Reay, senior researcher and co-author, a notable finding from the study is the greater increase in telepsychiatry consultations among men and people over 65 years.
“Both groups are historically known for their low rates of access to psychiatric services so it’s fascinating to see the rise in uptake and to appreciate telepsychiatry’s potential to help fulfil the mental health needs in these populations,” said Dr Reay.
From the patient’s perspective, research shows widespread acceptance of telepsychiatry and clinical efficacy generally similar to face-to-face consultations.
Access to psychiatrists in rural areas continues to be a chronic problem in Australia but the study shows more telepsychiatry usage with fewer per capita rural psychiatrists.
This implies that telepsychiatry continues to fill the gaps when face-to-face consultations are less readily accessible in rural areas.