Nathan R Stein, Kelly L Stolzmann, Erica A Abel, Claire M Burgess, Aleda Franz, Samantha L Connolly, Nathaniel Meshberg, Hannah M Bailey, David N Osser, Eric G Smith, Mark S Bauer, Linda Godleski, Christopher J Miller
{"title":"Ten Years of Bipolar Telehealth: Program Evaluation of a Team-Based Telemental Health Clinic.","authors":"Nathan R Stein, Kelly L Stolzmann, Erica A Abel, Claire M Burgess, Aleda Franz, Samantha L Connolly, Nathaniel Meshberg, Hannah M Bailey, David N Osser, Eric G Smith, Mark S Bauer, Linda Godleski, Christopher J Miller","doi":"10.1089/tmj.2024.0411","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objectives:</b> Telemental health via videoconferencing (TMH-V) can overcome many of the barriers to accessing quality mental health care. Toward this end, in 2011, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the National Bipolar Disorders TeleHealth (BDTH) Program to provide expert mental health consultation and treatment to Veterans with bipolar spectrum disorders. <b>Methods:</b> Initial analyses of BDTH services suggested that participants had positive changes in quality-of-care indices and clinical outcomes; however, that evaluation was based on a limited sample of both participants and VA medical centers. We were able to confirm and expand upon those early results by using nearly eight times the number of participants and more than twice as many medical centers. <b>Results:</b> For the 2,456 Veterans who completed the intake to our program, there were significant improvements in some of the quality metrics (e.g., lithium use) and a 54% reduction in positive suicide screens (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The Veterans who completed the initial and postprogram assessments (<i>n</i> = 815) reported a 16.6% reduction in manic symptoms (<i>p</i> < 0.001), a 29.3% reduction in depressive symptoms (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and a 21.2% reduction in mood episodes (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Additionally, these Veterans demonstrated significant improvements (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in mental health-related quality of life between the two assessments. <b>Conclusions:</b> These analyses provide further support for the general effectiveness and safety of telemental health via videoconferencing. Future research should examine the generalizability of these findings across various subgroups (e.g., minority patients, patients in rural areas), populations, and health care systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":54434,"journal":{"name":"Telemedicine and e-Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Telemedicine and e-Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2024.0411","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Telemental health via videoconferencing (TMH-V) can overcome many of the barriers to accessing quality mental health care. Toward this end, in 2011, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the National Bipolar Disorders TeleHealth (BDTH) Program to provide expert mental health consultation and treatment to Veterans with bipolar spectrum disorders. Methods: Initial analyses of BDTH services suggested that participants had positive changes in quality-of-care indices and clinical outcomes; however, that evaluation was based on a limited sample of both participants and VA medical centers. We were able to confirm and expand upon those early results by using nearly eight times the number of participants and more than twice as many medical centers. Results: For the 2,456 Veterans who completed the intake to our program, there were significant improvements in some of the quality metrics (e.g., lithium use) and a 54% reduction in positive suicide screens (p < 0.05). The Veterans who completed the initial and postprogram assessments (n = 815) reported a 16.6% reduction in manic symptoms (p < 0.001), a 29.3% reduction in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001), and a 21.2% reduction in mood episodes (p < 0.001). Additionally, these Veterans demonstrated significant improvements (p < 0.001) in mental health-related quality of life between the two assessments. Conclusions: These analyses provide further support for the general effectiveness and safety of telemental health via videoconferencing. Future research should examine the generalizability of these findings across various subgroups (e.g., minority patients, patients in rural areas), populations, and health care systems.
期刊介绍:
Telemedicine and e-Health is the leading peer-reviewed journal for cutting-edge telemedicine applications for achieving optimal patient care and outcomes. It places special emphasis on the impact of telemedicine on the quality, cost effectiveness, and access to healthcare. Telemedicine applications play an increasingly important role in health care. They offer indispensable tools for home healthcare, remote patient monitoring, and disease management, not only for rural health and battlefield care, but also for nursing home, assisted living facilities, and maritime and aviation settings.
Telemedicine and e-Health offers timely coverage of the advances in technology that offer practitioners, medical centers, and hospitals new and innovative options for managing patient care, electronic records, and medical billing.