Emergency management guidelines for telepsychiatry

ObjectiveTelepsychiatry, in the form of live interactive videoconferencing, is an emerging application for emergency psychiatric assessment and treatment and can improve the quality and quantity of mental health services, particularly for rural, remote and isolated populations. Despite the potential of emergency telepsychiatry, the literature has been fairly limited in this area.MethodDrawing on the combined clinical and administrative experiences of its authors, this article reviews the common administrative, legal/ethical and clinical issues that arise in emergency telepsychiatry.ResultsAn initial set of guidelines for emergency telepsychiatry is presented to generate further discussion to assist those who are considering establishing general telepsychiatry and/or emergency telepsychiatry services.ConclusionThe practices and techniques of emergency telepsychiatry are relatively new and require further examination, modification and refinement so that they may be fully utilized within comprehensive mental health service systems.