Samantha L Connolly1,2, Kelly L Stolzmann1, Leonie Heyworth3,4, Kendra R Weaver5, Mark S Bauer1,2, Christopher J Miller1,2. 1. Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 3. Veterans Health Administration Office of Connected Care/Telehealth, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. 4. Department of Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA. 5. Clinical Operations, Veterans Health Administration Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Abstract
Background: The use of telemental health via videoconferencing (TMH-V) became critical during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to restriction of non-urgent in-person appointments. The current brief report demonstrates the rapid growth in TMH-V appointments in the weeks following the pandemic declaration within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest healthcare system in the United States. Methods: COVID-19 changes in TMH-V appointments were captured during the six weeks following the World Health Organization's pandemic declaration (March 11, 2020-April 22, 2020). Pre-COVID-19 TMH-V encounters were assessed from October 1, 2017 to March 10, 2020. Results: Daily TMH-V encounters rose from 1,739 on March 11 to 11,406 on April 22 (556% growth, 222,349 total encounters). Between March 11-April 22, 114,714 patients were seen via TMH-V, and 77.5% were first-time TMH-V users. 12,342 MH providers completed a TMH-V appointment between March 11-April 22, and 34.7% were first-time TMH-V users. The percentage growth of TMH-V appointments was higher than the rise in telephone appointments (442% growth); in-person appointments dropped by 81% during this time period. Discussion and Conclusions: The speed of VA's growth in TMH-V appointments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was facilitated by its pre-existing telehealth infrastructure, including earlier national efforts to increase the number of providers using TMH-V. Longstanding barriers to TMH-V implementation were lessened in the context of a pandemic, during which non-urgent in-person MH care was drastically reduced. Future work is necessary to understand the extent to which COVID-19 related changes in TMH-V use may permanently impact mental health care provision.
Background: The use of telemental health via videoconferencing (TMH-V) became critical during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to restriction of non-urgent in-person appointments. The current brief report demonstrates the rapid growth in TMH-V appointments in the weeks following the pandemic declaration within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest healthcare system in the United States. Methods:COVID-19 changes in TMH-V appointments were captured during the six weeks following the World Health Organization's pandemic declaration (March 11, 2020-April 22, 2020). Pre-COVID-19TMH-V encounters were assessed from October 1, 2017 to March 10, 2020. Results: Daily TMH-V encounters rose from 1,739 on March 11 to 11,406 on April 22 (556% growth, 222,349 total encounters). Between March 11-April 22, 114,714 patients were seen via TMH-V, and 77.5% were first-time TMH-V users. 12,342 MH providers completed a TMH-V appointment between March 11-April 22, and 34.7% were first-time TMH-V users. The percentage growth of TMH-V appointments was higher than the rise in telephone appointments (442% growth); in-person appointments dropped by 81% during this time period. Discussion and Conclusions: The speed of VA's growth in TMH-V appointments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was facilitated by its pre-existing telehealth infrastructure, including earlier national efforts to increase the number of providers using TMH-V. Longstanding barriers to TMH-V implementation were lessened in the context of a pandemic, during which non-urgent in-person MH care was drastically reduced. Future work is necessary to understand the extent to which COVID-19 related changes in TMH-V use may permanently impact mental health care provision.
Authors: Claudia Der-Martirosian; Karen Chu; W Neil Steers; Tamar Wyte-Lake; Michelle D Balut; Aram Dobalian; Leonie Heyworth; Neil M Paige; Lucinda Leung Journal: BMC Prim Care Date: 2022-06-18
Authors: Samantha L Connolly; Jennifer L Sullivan; Jan A Lindsay; Stephanie L Shimada; Leonie Heyworth; Kendra R Weaver; Christopher J Miller Journal: Implement Sci Commun Date: 2022-06-20
Authors: Michael J Ward; John L Shuster; Nicholas M Mohr; Peter J Kaboli; Amanda S Mixon; Jennifer Kemmer; Corey Campbell; Candace D McNaughton Journal: Telemed J E Health Date: 2021-11-16 Impact factor: 5.033
Authors: Jose A Betancourt; Paula Stigler Granados; Gerardo J Pacheco; Julie Reagan; Ramalingam Shanmugam; Joseph B Topinka; Bradley M Beauvais; Zo H Ramamonjiarivelo; Lawrence V Fulton Journal: Healthcare (Basel) Date: 2021-05-18