While asynchronous telepsychiatry via email, recorded video, or other message systems shows promise for the delivery of psychiatry, more research is needed before convincing conclusions can be drawn, according to a systematic review published in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.

“There is a sparsity of research on asynchronous telepsychiatry across the National Quality Forum domains, but the largest gaps exist in the Access to Care and Financial Impact and Cost domains,” wrote researchers from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. “Therefore, it is suggested that future research explore these domains in particular, although further research is undoubtedly needed on asynchronous telepsychiatry in general.”

Noting the uptake of asynchronous telemedicine in fields such as dermatology and radiology, researchers conducted their investigation to gauge the prevalence and quality of asynchronous psychiatry. To do so, they used the four domains established by the National Quality Forum for the evaluation of telehealth services: Access to Care, Effectiveness, Experience, and Financial Impact and Cost.

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The review initially identified 205 studies for potential inclusion, but just 11 studies met criteria after title reviews, abstract reviews, and full-article reviews. Four of those studies addressed the Access to Care domain, 9 addressed Effectiveness, 7 addressed Experience, and 4 addressed Financial Cost and Impact.

According to the available evidence, asynchronous telepsychiatry appears to improve access to care, is feasible for implementation by clinicians, and is satisfying to patients and families. It also shows potential for reducing costs, reported researchers, who deemed the overall evidence to be promising.

Nevertheless, “there is an obvious need for more research into asynchronous telepsychiatry in order to draw valid conclusions on its quality and establish a baseline off of which future asynchronous telepsychiatry studies can measure success,” researchers advised.

Reference

O'Keefe M, White K, Jennings JC. Asynchronous telepsychiatry: a systematic review. J Telemed Telecare. 2021;27(3):137-145. doi: 10.1177/1357633X19867189