Patients’ self-management with improved technology
Advanced mobile devices mean patients can develop independence without direct face-to-face contact with a clinician. Reductions in consultations mean psychiatrists increasingly need to manage patients remotely to facilitate treatment, such as enabling people to self-manage their mental states, adherence to specific courses of medication, and intervening in crises so people do not require hospitalisation. Telehealth and telecare are increasingly used to deliver medicinal advice to patients in rural communities, as well as to connect with difficult-to-engage patients and address health inequalities.
Proposed workforce impact
- Psychiatrists adopt a wider role in advising and supporting patients and their carers on the use of technology
- Telemedicine frees up time if IT works efficiently
- Demand for community-based stewardship increases
- Complex demand relationships emerge
- Psychiatrists treat only complex cases face-to-face
Sources or references
- Hilty et al., (2006), Use of secure e-mail and telephone. Telemed J E Health, 12(4):490
- Steventon, (2012), effect of telehealth on use of secondary health and mortality, BMJ, 344, e3874
- www.bigwhitewall.com
- www.beatingtheblues.co.uk
- www.fearfighter.com
Additional research questions
- How will self-testing equipment be funded?
- How will quality of care be maintained?
Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.
