Benefits and challenges of video consulting for mental health diagnosis and follow-up: a qualitative study in community care
File(s)ijerph-20-02595-v2.pdf (718 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Mental health services continue to experience rising demand that exceeds capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this crisis, with access to services being reduced. Although video consultations (VCs) are a solution, usage in UK community mental healthcare settings remains limited. This study aims to investigate psychiatrists’ and general practitioners’ (GPs) perceptions of the benefits and challenges of VC for the diagnosis and follow-up of general adult mental health patients in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews in NHS community mental healthcare settings were conducted. Psychiatrists (n = 11) and GPs (n = 12) were recruited through purposive sampling. An explorative qualitative approach was employed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four key themes were identified: (1) patient access to VC, (2) suitability of VC for mental health consultations, (3) information gathering with VC and (4) clinician satisfaction with VC. This study provides valuable insights into the experiences of psychiatrists and GPs working in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. To facilitate a digital-first future for the NHS, greater investment in remote technologies is required, particularly in the context of growing mental healthcare demand. Though face-to-face consultations remain the gold standard, VC provides an efficient way of communicating with patients, particularly those with less severe forms of mental illness.
Date Issued
2023-02-01
Date Acceptance
2023-01-24
Citation
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023, 20 (3), pp.1-12
ISSN
1660-4601
Publisher
MDPI AG
Start Page
1
End Page
12
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
20
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Subjects
Toxicology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
2595
Date Publish Online
2023-01-31