Meta-analysis demonstrates similar overall symptom improvement between telepsychiatry and in-person care for psychiatric disorders, suggesting efficacy depends on specific diagnostic conditions.
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed healthcare significantly and telepsychiatry is now the primary means of treatment in some countries. AIMS: To compare the efficacy of telepsychiatry and face-to-face treatment. METHOD: A comprehensive meta-analysis comparing telepsychiatry with face-to-face treatment for psychiatric disorders. The primary outcome was the mean change in the standard symptom scale scores used for each psychiatric disorder. Secondary outcomes included all meta-analysable outcomes, such as all-cause discontinuation and safety/tolerability. RESULTS: = 0.564). CONCLUSIONS: Telepsychiatry achieved a symptom improvement effect for various psychiatric disorders similar to that of face-to-face treatment. However, some superiorities/inferiorities were seen across a few specific psychiatric disorders, suggesting that its efficacy may vary according to disease type.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hagi et al. (2023) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: