Telepsychiatry

The use of video-based telepsychiatry 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 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

College Mental Health, Telepsychiatry: Best Practices, Policy Considerations & COVID-19

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.

APA Telehealth Policy Recommendations

An APA member survey on how the use of telehealth has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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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.

APA 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.

Telepsychiatry Toolkit

View all of the topics covered in the Telepsychiatry Toolkit.

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APA Committee on Telepsychiatry

APA's Committee on Telepsychiatry was originally constituted as the APA Ad Hoc Work Group on Telepsychiatry by APA President Renee Binder, M.D., in 2015. The Work Group's original charge was to develop member resources around telepsychiatry, specifically focusing on educational materials related to the practice, research, and policy implications of telepsychiatry.

The Committee consists of the APA members who are active within academia, private practice, and within hospital settings.

Contact Us

For more information about the APA Committee on Telepsychiatry, please e-mail APA's Department of Practice Management and Delivery Systems at practicemanagement@psych.org.