Telepsychiatry. 4 Credit Hours

Catalog description

The rotation introduces the medical student to some of the technical, legal, and patient care issues arising from the use of telehealth technologies. Telehealth is defined as providing services remotely through technology including phone contact and videoconferencing. This technology is being used increasingly to provide needed psychiatric services for underserved rural areas. Studies have demonstrated non-inferiority of services provided through telehealth services. Medical students will participate in a 1:1 supervised experience with a faculty member providing telepsychiatry for mental health evaluation and treatment using a Tandberg unit from the remote site in San Antonio to an originating clinical site in VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System (VATVCBHCS). There are no in-person patient contacts during this rotation as all services are provided through videoconferencing to the originating VA clinics. This educational experience will be provided under the supervision of the telehealth psychiatrist located on site in San Antonio with the medical student. Notes and orders will be documented through the VA's Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). Patients will be asked to complete clinical rating scales at the time of the appointment and a satisfaction survey following each clinical encounter, which are tracked for quality improvement purposes. The rotation will include 1/2 hour weekly didactic sessions for the students. Material will include information on clinical skills such as interviewing, mental status exam, and diagnostics as they are performed using the videoconferencing equipment.