Psychiatric Care Via Videoconferencing
Condition: Depression
MeSH terms: Depression
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this project is to compare the effectiveness between face-to-face
      consultations and consultations via videoconferencing among patients treated in the Institute
      of Psychiatry (IPq).
    

Detailed description: 
      Introduction: Within the emergence of the Internet and for the purposes of providing
      psychiatric services across distances, the provision of mental health service via video
      counseling has become a possible way of mental health service delivery. An appropriate
      systematization of the propaedeutic methods in psychiatry, according to the interactive
      resources of telemedicine, and a standardized assessment based on clinical records turn this
      method to a viable alternative for service delivery all over the world. The main benefit of
      video counseling is an increased access to care services. But, so far, there is still limited
      research regarding to the effectiveness of telepsychiatry in the management of mental
      illnesses.

      Objective: To verify the applicability of psychiatric attendance via Interned-based
      videoconferencing, comparing various quality characteristics between this method and
      face-to-face attendance, on the basis of a one-year follow-up study with a randomized
      clinical trial (RCT) design.

      Material and methods: 100 patients of the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq) between 18 to 55
      years old with depressive disorders are randomly allocated to a control (monthly face-to-face
      consultation with the attending psychiatrist) or intervention group. The intervention group
      will have consultations with the attending psychiatrist through internet-based
      videoconference. For reasons of patient safety, consultations at baseline, and after 6 and 12
      months will be realized in a face-to-face form for all patients. At baseline, and after 6 and
      12 months mental health, satisfaction with treatment, therapeutic relationship, and medical
      compliance will be assessed. Depression will be assessed at baseline, and after 3, 6, 9 and
      12 months.
    

Intervention name(s): Online consultation; Face-to-face consultation
Intervention type(s): Procedure; Procedure
Intervention description(s): Patients in the online consultation (intervention) group have monthly consultation with their attending psychiatrist through videoconferencing during one year. After each consultation, the medication is sent to the patient through a home delivery program. For reasons of patient safety, consultations at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months will be realized in a face-to-face form at the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq).; Patients in the face-to-face consultation (control) group have monthly face-to-face consultation with their attending psychiatrist during one year at the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq).
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Health Services Research
Keywords: telepsychiatry; telemental health; teleassistance; health care delivery; depression; Telemedicine; Remote Consultation; Videoconferencing; Community Mental Health Services