AI Article Synopsis
- In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in telepsychiatry services across the U.S., particularly in outpatient clinics for patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Disabilities (DD).
- A national survey comparing telepsychiatry appointment attendance from 2019 to 2020 showed that clinics quickly adapted and returned to previous appointment levels shortly after the lockdowns.
- The authors recommend continued funding for telepsychiatry, highlight its benefits for physicians, patients, and families, and propose improvements for future access to these services.
Article Abstract
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.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9109664 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05593-0 | DOI Listing |
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