Asynchronous Telepsychiatry: A Component of Stepped Integrated Care.

OBJECTIVE Integrated behavioral healthcare models typically involve a range of consultation options for mental healthcare. Asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP) consults may be an additional potential choice, so we are conducting a 5-year clinical trial comparing ATP with synchronous telepsychiatry (STP) consultations. METHODS Patients referred by primary care providers are randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups, ATP or STP. Clinical outcome, satisfaction, and economic data are being collected from patients for 2 years at 6-month intervals. RESULTS Baseline characteristics for the first 158 patients and case examples of ATP are presented. CONCLUSION Implementing ATP in existing integrated behavioral healthcare models could make mental healthcare more efficient.

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