Fewer Mental Health Facilities Offering Telehealth Since End of Pandemic

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 19, 2024 -- Telehealth availability for mental health services has declined since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to a study published online July 10 in JAMA Network Open.

Ryan K. McBain, Ph.D., from RAND Corporation in Washington, D.C., and colleagues evaluated changes in availability of telehealth services at 1,404 U.S. outpatient mental health treatment facilities during (December 2022 to March 2023) and 1,001 facilities after (September to November 2023; wave 2) the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The researchers found that the percentage of facilities offering telehealth declined from 81.6 to 79.0 percent (odds ratio [OR], 0.84; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 1.00; P < 0.05). Of those offering telehealth, a smaller percentage in wave 2 offered audio-only telehealth (49.3 versus 34.1 percent; OR, 0.53; 95 percent CI, 0.44 to 0.64; P < 0.001) and telehealth for comorbid alcohol use disorder (76.3 versus 66.5 percent; OR, 0.62; 95 percent CI, 0.50 to 0.76; P < 0.001) compared with wave 1. In wave 2, facilities were more likely to report telehealth was only available for medication management (28.0 versus 41.3 percent; OR, 1.81; 95 percent CI, 1.48 to 2.21; P < 0.001). Overall, 72.0 percent of facilities were constituted sustainers of telehealth, 9.9 percent were discontinuers, 11.2 percent were nonadopters, and 7.0 percent were late adopters.

"Telehealth availability has declined since the public health emergency end with respect to scope and modality of services, suggesting targeted policies may be necessary to sustain telehealth access," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2024-07-20 01:15

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords