Psychosis, Telehealth, and COVID-19: Successes and Lessons Learned From the First Wave of the Pandemic

This brief report analyzes a first-episode psychosis (FEP) clinic's shift from in-person treatment to the provision of services through telemental health during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The feasibility of using this technology was examined by assessing client engagement...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Disaster medicine and public health preparedness Vol. 16; no. 5; p. 1785
Main Authors:	Chaudhry, Serena, Weiss, Ashley, Dillon, Grinasha, O'Shea, Ariana, Hansel, Tonya Cross
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States 01-10-2022
Subjects:	COVID-19 - epidemiology Humans Pandemics - prevention & control Psychotic Disorders - epidemiology Psychotic Disorders - therapy SARS-CoV-2 Telemedicine - methods pandemic community mental health mental disorders
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Summary:	This brief report analyzes a first-episode psychosis (FEP) clinic's shift from in-person treatment to the provision of services through telemental health during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The feasibility of using this technology was examined by assessing client engagement. The authors created and implemented procedures for the clinic's transition to telemental health. Once clients' consents were obtained, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant platform was used to continue service provision. Client engagement during this period improved compared to that of the same quarter in the previous year. Telemental health was also practical for providing groups and other supportive services to meet clients' needs. Telemental health is an effective approach to providing care at an FEP clinic during a pandemic. Successes and lessons learned from the first wave of the pandemic can be used to prevent an uptick in symptoms and sustain engagement for this vulnerable population during the anticipated second wave.
ISSN:	1938-744X
DOI:	10.1017/dmp.2021.42