Ten-year experience of a private nonprofit telepsychiatry service

This paper reports the results of a satisfaction survey of telepsychiatry patients at a rural community mental health clinic that had been providing psychiatric services solely via telemedicine for 10 years. The survey examined the perceived telepsychiatric session quality over a relatively long period of time with patients who had been utilizing the services for a number of years or over multiple sessions. Onepage optional anonymous surveys were distributed from December 1, 2006, through March 30, 2007, covering 230 telepsychiatry patients, approximately 90% of current telepsychiatry patients at the agency. Of these, 76 patients responded, a 33.0% return rate. Among the respondents, satisfaction was generally very high, with telemedicine services provided over a period of up to 10 years perceived to be of similar (no worse) quality than in-person services. Results were further analyzed by gender, age, and number of telemedicine sessions experienced. Female patients appeared more accepting of the quality of medical care via telemedicine than male patients. Patients aged 20-49 had much higher acceptance rates than patients younger than 20 or older than 49. The least positive responses toward telemedicine were from patients in their 50s. Patients who had experienced 5 to 10 telemedicine sessions were more likely than patients who had experienced fewer than 5 to report that their sessions now run more smoothly than their initial sessions. Patients in their 20s and 30s reported the least need to have a clinician in the room with them to make them feel comfortable during their telemedicine sessions. Eight percent of respondents reacted negatively to the presence of a clinician in the room with them during their telemedicine sessions.