Incorporation of Telepsychiatry for Patients with Developmental Disorders into Routine Clinical Practice-A Survey of Specialty Clinics Adapting to Telepsychiatry During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Autism Dev Disord 2022 Dec;52(12):5280-5284
Date
05/17/2022Pubmed ID
35575840Pubmed Central ID
PMC9109664DOI
10.1007/s10803-022-05593-0Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85130178379 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 3 CitationsAbstract
In 2020, a nationwide shift to telepsychiatry occurred in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and lockdowns. To assess the rates of telepsychiatry appointment attendance pre- and post-lockdown, we conducted a national, multi-site survey of appointments in 2020 compared to a similar time period in 2019, at outpatient child psychiatry clinics that specialize in the treatment of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Developmental Disabilities (DD). ASD/DD clinics rapidly shifted to telepsychiatry, returning to pre-pandemic appointment numbers and completion rates within months. We advocate for the continued funding of this care model, discuss the substantial benefits physicians, patients and families have found in using telepsychiatry, and suggest ways to improve future access for ASD/DD telepsychiatry.
Author List
Verma S, Vandana P, Soda T, Koth KA, Aguayo P, Shaffer RC, Hellings J, Muhle RAAuthor
Kathleen A. Koth DO Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Autism Spectrum DisorderChild
Communicable Disease Control
Developmental Disabilities
Humans
Pandemics
Psychiatry
Telemedicine
