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Pediatric telepsychiatry in ontario: Caregiver and service provider perspectives.

Greenberg N, Boydell KM, Volpe T

Community Health Systems Resources Group, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto. ON M6G 1X8, Canada.

Families in rural areas face significant geographic and economic obstacles to obtaining pediatric mental health services. Telepsychiatry promises the possibility of extending specialized expertise into areas that have no resident psychiatrists. In this study, user perspectives and experiences of a pediatric telepsychiatry program serving rural communities in Ontario, Canada, were explored. Qualitative, exploratory methods were utilized because of the complex nature of mental health services needs and provision in rural communities. Focus groups with rural mental health service providers and interviews with family caregivers of children receiving a telepsychiatry consultation were conducted. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the benefits and limitations of providing pediatric psychiatric services via video-technology to inform future program development and health policy. Whereas participants in the study indicated that their experiences with the telepsychiatry service had been positive, the need for additional local services to support treatment recommendations was emphasized.

Published 25 April 2006 in J Behav Health Serv Res, 33(1): 105-11.
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