The World Psychiatric Association Telepsychiatry Global Guidelines

Abstract

AbstractPsychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with the causation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders. Telepsychiatry, in the form of live interactive videoconferencing, has emerged as a promising approach to improve access to mental health care, particularly in underserved populations across the world. However, the use of telepsychiatry also raises unique clinical, ethical, legal, and technological challenges. Pre-pandemic, the vast majority of mental health professionals had little to no experience with telepsychiatry, so they were forced to quickly adapt to the use of telepsychiatry to continue provide ongoing care to patients or new services. To address these challenges, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) developed Telepsychiatry Global Guidelines in 2020 via outreach to and input from as many countries as possible, with intent to support all countries with intent to specifically assist low- and middle-income countries in adopting and establishing telepsychiatry services amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidelines make suggestions for clinical practice, technological challenges, education and training, research, and specific populations and settings, with an emphasis on international and cross-cultural dimensions. The WPA guidelines specifically emphasize the importance of providing cultural fit to patient-centered care, ensuring confidentiality and security of patient information, and ongoing evaluation and quality improvement. The guidelines offer an appendix with a comprehensive collection of tools, templates, and resources. The guidelines highlight the importance of collaboration between policymakers, clinicians, and patients in the development and implementation of telepsychiatry programs.