TelePsychiatry
One of the greatest challenges in hospital medicine today is quickly and effectively managing the volume of patients requiring acute psychiatric and mental health services. Providence TelePsychiatry eases this pressure with a turnkey consult model serving the whole patient. This includes on call, virtual bedside access to board-certified psychiatrists and social workers to diagnose and start patients on the path of treatment.
- Improved clinical outcomes
- Increased emergency room throughput
- Decreased wait-times
- Reduced length of stay
- Lower readmission rates
- Improved patient satisfaction
- Compliance with state and other regulations
- Decreased patient safety events
- Improved staff satisfaction
Case Studies
TelePsychiatry can deliver psychiatric care to patients in rural areas where access to psychiatric care is scarce. With access to psychiatric consultation, patients are more likely to get better and more cost-effective treatment; and can have shorter lengths of stay when hospitalized.
A 70-year-old woman from rural WA presented into the Emergency Room with paranoia and agitation. The patient had no prior psychiatric history but had a family history of bipolar disorder. Upon further investigation and interviews with the patient’s family, the patient had started an anti-smoking medication 2 months prior to admission resulting in significant insomnia to a point where she had not slept in 4 days. Our TelePsychiatrist diagnosed the patient with mania, most likely induced by her anti-smoking medication. Within hours of her admission into the ER, her anti-smoking medication was stopped, and she was put on antipsychotic medications. TelePsychiatry proved particularly helpful in getting background information on the patient, making a timely diagnosis, and implementing a targeted treatment.
A 60-year-old woman was admitted into a Providence hospital because of altered mental status, which can be caused by underlying psychiatric condition or injuries that cause damage to the brain. TelePsychiatry was consulted to help manage significant anxiety symptoms and to help rule out psychiatric issues contributing to her altered mental status. During the evaluation, the TelePsychiatrist found the patient had a seizure-like experience a few days prior to her hospital admission, which coincided with her running out of her benzodiazepine medication. Upon further investigation, the patient disclosed that she had been living alone and had been abusing benzodiazepines for the last 10 years. Our TelePsychiatrist diagnosed benzodiazepine withdrawal and immediately put the patient back on her on benzodiazepines to stop the seizures. The patient was prepared for transfer to a detox facility and referred to an outpatient MH provider, reducing her stay in the hospital.