Perception towards Telepsychiatry; A Cross Sectional Survey of Psychiatry Doctors in Lahore
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Abstract
Background: The use of telepsychiatry involves utilizing technology to deliver a variety of services, such as psychotherapy, patient education, and medication management. Limiting access to recognized psychiatric services caused a rise in the demand for mental health care.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the convenience, feasibility, clinical effectiveness, safety, and willingness of psychiatrists in Lahore to use telemedicine and to adopt it.
Material and Methodology: In this cross-sectional survey, an online self-developed questionnaire was sent to 100 psychiatrists working on different posts in Lahore from October 2021 to December 2021, from which 62 clinicians responded, leading to a response rate of 62%. The data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 24. Chi-square and t-test were used to see the relationship and significant difference for categorical and numeric variables respectively.
Results: The majority of participants belong to a younger age group (25-40), and female psychiatrists comprise a greater number (56.7%). There were 38.7% of the participants found using tele psychiatry in routine patient care convenient, 56.5% found it technically friendly, 41.9% had concerns regarding safety, and 58.1% showed willingness. Both private and hospital settings found tele psychiatry convenient (38.7%), technically friendly (56.5%), clinically effective (54.8%), and showed willingness to use it in the future (58.1%). Most of them found virtual consultation more convenient than a remote clinic requiring the presence of coordinator.
Conclusion: Our study on psychiatrists for tele psychiatry found virtual consultation more convenient, effective, and feasible to use in routine patient care. There are still some challenges and barriers to overcome for its effectiveness in the future.