Telehealth supports collaborative mental health care in the needs of rural patients

(American Academy of Family Physicians) Traditionally, primary care clinics connect patients who have mental health care needs to specialists like psychiatrists in a collaborative care model. However, rural clinics often lack the workforce capacity to provide collaborative behavioral health services. In a new qualitative study, rural Washington primary care clinics adopted telehealth methods to connect remotely with specialists. The study found that telepsychiatric collaboration prepared primary care physicians and rural clinic staff to deliver high quality mental health care in underserved areas.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news