The use of telemedicine in psychiatry helps meet patients' needs for convenient, affordable and readily-accessible mental health services. With a robust evidence base that shows telepsychiatry leading to improved outcomes and higher patient satisfaction ratings, policy makers, payers and providers are increasingly considering ways to implement and use telepsychiatry.
APA is helping psychiatrists learn about and adopt telepsychiatry through its Committee on Telepsychiatry, The Telepsychiatry Toolkit and its Best Practices in Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health (.pdf) guide.
The Telepsychiatry Toolkit
APA's Telepsychiatry Toolkit is an evolving resource for members who want to learn about the various aspects of telepsychiatry, including clinical, training, and policy considerations. As new topics emerge, more resources and information will be added to this toolkit.
The toolkit covers topics from History, training, practice/clinical, reimbursement and legal issues from leading psychiatrists.
Explore the Telepsychiatry Toolkit Here
Other Telepsychiatry Resources
Comparison of Telehealth Provisions During & After the Public Health Emergency (.pdf)
This policy brief covers key components of policy changes relevant to the practice of telepsychiatry.
View More (.pdf)Digital Mental Health 101: Clinician Quick-Start Brief (.pdf)
The goal of mobile health (mHealth) is to improve health outcomes through convenient, patient-driven mobile mental health support and self-management tools. This issue brief is an introduction to broad considerations for psychiatrists when engaging with mHealth solutions.
View More (.pdf)College Mental Health, Telepsychiatry: Best Practices, Policy Considerations & COVID-19 (.pdf)
As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, college students were abruptly displaced from their campuses to locations around the country and world. State legislation poses logistical challenges to maintaining continuity in care, while local treatment options are often not viable for a variety of reasons.
View More (.pdf)Psychiatrists' Use of Telepsychiatry During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (.pdf)
A summary of survey results capturing APA members' use of telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Download (.pdf)Telepsychiatry and Health Technologies: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals
A practical, comprehensive, evidence-based guide to patient-centered clinical care delivered in whole or in part by technological devices and applications.
View MoreAPA Policy on Telepsychiatry
In February 2018, APA updated its Policy on Telepsychiatry:
Telemedicine in psychiatry, using video conferencing, is a validated and effective practice of medicine that increases access to care. The American Psychiatric Association supports the use of telemedicine as a legitimate component of a mental health delivery system to the extent that its use is for the benefit of the patient, protects patient autonomy, confidentiality, and privacy; and when used consistent with APA policies on medical ethics and applicable governing law.