Rapid Increase in Telemental Health Within the Department of Veterans Affairs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Background: The use of telemental health via videoconferencing (TMH-V) became critical during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to restriction of non-urgent in-person appointments. The current brief report demonstrates the rapid growth in TMH-V appointments in the weeks following the pandemic declaration within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest healthcare system in the United States. Methods: COVID-19 changes in TMH-V appointments were captured during the six weeks following the World Health Organization's pandemic declaration (March 11, 2020-April 22, 2020). Pre-COVID-19 TMH-V encounters were assessed from October 1, 2017 to March 10, 2020. Results: Daily TMH-V encounters rose from 1,739 on March 11 to 11,406 on April 22 (556% growth, 222,349 total encounters). Between March 11-April 22, 114,714 patients were seen via TMH-V, and 77.5% were first-time TMH-V users. 12,342 MH providers completed a TMH-V appointment between March 11-April 22, and 34.7% were first-time TMH-V users. The percentage growth of TMH-V appointments was higher than the rise in telephone appointments (442% growth); in-person appointments dropped by 81% during this time period. Discussion and Conclusions: The speed of VA's growth in TMH-V appointments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was facilitated by its pre-existing telehealth infrastructure, including earlier national efforts to increase the number of providers using TMH-V. Longstanding barriers to TMH-V implementation were lessened in the context of a pandemic, during which non-urgent in-person MH care was drastically reduced. Future work is necessary to understand the extent to which COVID-19 related changes in TMH-V use may permanently impact mental health care provision.
| Errataetall: |
CommentIn: Lancet Psychiatry. 2021 Jan;8(1):3-4. - PMID 33341169 |
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| Medienart: |
E-Artikel |
| Erscheinungsjahr: |
2021 |
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| Erschienen: |
2021 |
| Enthalten in: |
Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:27 |
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| Enthalten in: |
Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association - 27(2021), 4 vom: 12. Apr., Seite 454-458 |
| Sprache: |
Englisch |
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| Beteiligte Personen: |
Connolly, Samantha L [VerfasserIn] |
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| Links: |
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| Themen: |
Behavioral health |
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| Anmerkungen: |
Date Completed 15.04.2021 Date Revised 15.04.2021 published: Print-Electronic CommentIn: Lancet Psychiatry. 2021 Jan;8(1):3-4. - PMID 33341169 Citation Status MEDLINE |
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| doi: |
10.1089/tmj.2020.0233 |
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| funding: |
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| Förderinstitution / Projekttitel: |
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| PPN (Katalog-ID): |
NLM314986847 |
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| 500 | |a CommentIn: Lancet Psychiatry. 2021 Jan;8(1):3-4. - PMID 33341169 | ||
| 500 | |a Citation Status MEDLINE | ||
| 520 | |a Background: The use of telemental health via videoconferencing (TMH-V) became critical during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to restriction of non-urgent in-person appointments. The current brief report demonstrates the rapid growth in TMH-V appointments in the weeks following the pandemic declaration within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest healthcare system in the United States. Methods: COVID-19 changes in TMH-V appointments were captured during the six weeks following the World Health Organization's pandemic declaration (March 11, 2020-April 22, 2020). Pre-COVID-19 TMH-V encounters were assessed from October 1, 2017 to March 10, 2020. Results: Daily TMH-V encounters rose from 1,739 on March 11 to 11,406 on April 22 (556% growth, 222,349 total encounters). Between March 11-April 22, 114,714 patients were seen via TMH-V, and 77.5% were first-time TMH-V users. 12,342 MH providers completed a TMH-V appointment between March 11-April 22, and 34.7% were first-time TMH-V users. The percentage growth of TMH-V appointments was higher than the rise in telephone appointments (442% growth); in-person appointments dropped by 81% during this time period. Discussion and Conclusions: The speed of VA's growth in TMH-V appointments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was facilitated by its pre-existing telehealth infrastructure, including earlier national efforts to increase the number of providers using TMH-V. Longstanding barriers to TMH-V implementation were lessened in the context of a pandemic, during which non-urgent in-person MH care was drastically reduced. Future work is necessary to understand the extent to which COVID-19 related changes in TMH-V use may permanently impact mental health care provision | ||
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| 650 | 4 | |a Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. | |
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| 650 | 4 | |a psychology | |
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| 700 | 1 | |a Heyworth, Leonie |e verfasserin |4 aut | |
| 700 | 1 | |a Weaver, Kendra R |e verfasserin |4 aut | |
| 700 | 1 | |a Bauer, Mark S |e verfasserin |4 aut | |
| 700 | 1 | |a Miller, Christopher J |e verfasserin |4 aut | |
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