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Introduction: In this era of patient-centered care, telepsychiatry (TP; video or synchronous) provides quality care with outcomes as good as in-person care, facilitates access to care, and leverages a wide range of treatments at a distance., Method: This conceptual review article explores TP as applied to newer models of care (e.g., collaborative, stepped, and integrated care)., Results: The field of psychosomatic medicine (PSM) has developed clinical care models, educates interdisciplinary team members, and provides leadership to clinical teams. PSM is uniquely positioned to steer TP and implement other telebehavioral health care options (e.g., e-mail/telephone, psych/mental health apps) in the future in primary care. Together, PSM and TP provide versatility to health systems by enabling more patient points-of-entry, matching patient needs with provider skills, and helping providers work at the top of their licenses. TP and other technologies make collaborative, stepped, and integrated care less costly and more accessible., Conclusion: Effective health care delivery matches the intensity of the services to the needs of a patient population or clinic, standardizes interventions, and evaluates both process and clinical outcomes. More research is indicated on the application of TP and other technologies to these service delivery models., (Copyright © 2018 Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Psychiatric training in family medicine residency programs is necessary but not always sufficient. A brief educational intervention was designed to help improve family medicine residents' knowledge, comfort, and attitudes in delivering mental health care., Methods: A 6-hour didactic curriculum was taught by 2 psychiatry residents to family medicine residents between February and April 2015. Preintervention and postintervention surveys assessed participant demographics, knowledge, comfort levels, and attitudes regarding treating patients with psychiatric illness. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. Relationships between the sessions attended and preintervention and postintervention knowledge, comfort, and attitudes were investigated., Results: Of 24 eligible residents, 15 completed each of the surveys preintervention and postintervention. Psychiatric knowledge scores were similar in the preintervention (mean score = 70%, SD = 15%) and postintervention (mean score = 69%, SD = 16%) groups. A significant positive correlation emerged between the number of didactic sessions attended and postintervention comfort levels (Spearman rank correlation coefficient: ρ = 0.61, P = .02). The number of sessions attended was also positively associated with postintervention knowledge scores, although this did not reach statistical significance (ρ = 0.40, P = .16). No relationship emerged between the number of sessions attended and participant attitudes (F₂,₁₂ = 1.88, P = .19)., Conclusions: A brief, resident-led educational intervention positively impacted family medicine residents' comfort in managing patients with psychiatric comorbidities. Further research is needed to establish the sustainability of gains and the impact of such educational interventions on patient care outcomes., (© Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder with a worldwide prevalence of about 5% in school-age children. This review is intended to assist primary care providers (PCPs) in diagnosing and treating ADHD in adolescents. PubMed, PsychInfo, and Science Citation Index databases were searched from March 1990 to 2015 with the keywords: ADHD, primary care/pediatrics, and children/adolescents. Abstracts addressing diagnosis and/or treatment with 105 citations were identified including supplementary treatment guidelines/books. Adolescent ADHD presents with significant disturbances in attention, academic performance, and family relationships with unique issues associated with this developmental period. Diagnostic challenges include the variable symptom presentation during adolescence, complex differential diagnosis, and limited training and time for PCPs to conduct thorough evaluations. The evidence base for treatments in adolescence in comparison to those in children or adults with ADHD is relatively weak. Providers should be cognizant of prevention, early identification, and treatment of conditions associated with ADHD that emerge during adolescence such as substance use disorders. Adolescent ADHD management for the PCP is complex, requires further research, and perhaps new primary care psychiatric models, to assist in determining the optimal care for patients at this critical period., (Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

From a population health perspective, the mental health care system in the USA faces two fundamental challenges: (1) a lack of capacity and (2) an inequitable geographic distribution of services. Telepsychiatry can help address the equity problem, and if applied thoughtfully, can also help address the capacity problem. In this paper we describe how telepsychiatry can be used to address the capacity and equity challenges related to the delivery of mental health services in rural areas. Five models of telepsychiatry are described, including (1) the traditional telepsychiatry referral model, (2) The telepsychiatry collaborative care model, (3) the telepsychiatry behavioural health consultant model, (4) the telepsychiatry consultation-liaison model, and (5) the telepsychiatry curbside consultation model. The strong empirical evidence for the telepsychiatry collaborative care model is presented along with two case studies of telepsychiatry consultation in the context of the telepsychiatry collaborative care model. By placing telepsychiatrists and tele-therapists in consultation roles, telepsychiatry collaborative care has the potential to leverage scarce specialist mental health resources to reach more patients, thereby allowing these providers to have a greater population level impact compared to traditional referral models of care. Comparative effectiveness trials are needed to identify which models of telepsychiatry are the most appropriate for patients with complex psychiatric disorders.

This article describes the University of California, Davis Medical Center eMental Health Consultation Service, a program designed to integrate tele-mental health clinical services, provider-to-provider consultation, and provider distance education. During the first year of operation, consultations were provided for 289 cases. The most common diagnoses among children were for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-spectrum problems. Among the adult patients, mood disorders were most common. A convenience sample of 33 adult patients who completed the SF-12 health status measure showed significant improvements in mental health status at 3-6 months of follow-up. This model of comprehensive rural outpatient primary mental health care delivered at a distance shows promise for wider application and deserves further study.

Context and Purpose: Rural and suburban populations remain underserved in terms of psychiatric services but have not been compared directly in terms of using telepsychiatry., Methods: Patient demographics, reasons for consultation, diagnosis, and alternatives to telepsychiatric consultation were collected for 200 consecutive, first-time telepsychiatric consultations at rural and suburban clinics., Findings: Rural patients were more likely than suburban patients to be younger than 18 years, using Medicaid, and needing treatment planning (lest they be referred out of the community). Rural patient and primary care physician satisfaction was higher than that of suburban counterparts., Conclusion: Telepsychiatry programs may enhance access, satisfaction, and quality of rural care.

Introduction: Rural populations remain underserved in terms of psychiatric services. This study assesses changes over time in the utilization of telepsychiatric services by individual primary care providers (PCPs) and clinics in rural areas, specifically: (a) types of referrals for telepsychiatry service; (b) PCPs' knowledge and skills related to medication dosing; and (c) PCPs' satisfaction with telepsychiatry., Methods: Data with regard to patient demographics, diagnoses, reason for consultation, medication dosing and satisfaction were prospectively collected on the first 200 and the subsequent 200 telepsychiatric initial consultations. A number of educational interventions were implemented during the project., Results: Adult patients were primarily referred for mood and anxiety disorders, particularly for diagnosis and medication treatment planning. Over time, PCPs significantly improved medication dosing and asked for more treatment planning help. PCPs' satisfaction also improved over time., Discussion: Telepsychiatric consultation, in combination with specific educational interventions, appears to facilitate the enhancement of skills and knowledge of PCPs. "Developmental" steps in provider and clinic evolution, along with interventions specific to a given provider's and a given site's needs, ought to be further elucidated.

New models of psychiatric intervention are needed to improve the accessibility of mental health care in the primary-care setting, particularly in rural areas of the United States. Some models of service delivery have been successful in suburban and urban settings, but they do not always apply to rural settings. "E-health" innovations like videoconferencing, telephone, secure messaging (e-mail), and the Internet are increasingly being used to provide consultation--liaison service to primary care. This article briefly reviews successful models used in primary care, their application to rural sites, new models for rural sites, and suggestions for future e-health research.

The University of California (UC), Davis Health System, and California Department of Developmental Services (CDDS) developed the Physician Assistance, Consultation and Training Network (PACT Net) to assist primary-care providers (PCPs) care for patients with developmental disabilities in rural California. This manuscript describes PACT Net, a warm line using phone and e-mail, and its multispecialty panel. A pilot study evaluated whether or not PCPs needed such a consultation service, whether or not it assisted them in providing care, and their overall satisfaction with the service. PCPs were informed on how to request a consultation. Data were collected from patients (demographics), PCPs (satisfaction with preexisting consultation availability and quality, PACT Net consultation reason, preferred mode of contact, duration, and, satisfaction), and specialists (ease, quality of request, and satisfaction). Satisfaction was measured prospectively using a 7-point Likert scale. Data were collected on 30 consultations, 28 by telephone and 2 by e-mail; other data were by combined methods. The average duration of consultation was 47 minutes, and 24 responses occurred within one business day. The top three services requested for consultation were psychiatry (e.g., management of behavioral disturbance), medical genetics (diagnosis), and gastroenterology (miscellaneous). PCPs rated baseline satisfaction with: (1) pre-existing local services at 3.37, (2) timeliness of the PACT Net consultation at 5.45, (3) quality of the communication at 6.3, and (4) overall quality and utility of the consultation at 6.2. Specialists rated the quality of the communication at 6.45, and the ease of the service at 6.46. Phone and e-mail consultation appears satisfactory to PCPs and specialty providers as a way to enhance specialty input to rural patients.

The perspective of the contemporary Consultation-Liason Service (CLS) psychiatrist is increasingly one of consultant to medical and surgical colleagues in models other than inpatient medical and surgical units. Simultaneously, the need for a clinically and educationally robust inpatient CLS persists despite funding pressures. The University of California, Davis Medical Center Department of Psychiatry has made use of creative organizational and financial models to accomplish the inpatient CLS clinical and educational missions in a fiscally responsible manner. In addition, the department has in recent years expanded the delivery of psychiatry consultation-liaison clinical and educational services to other models of care delivery, broadening the role and influence of the CLS. Several of the initiatives described in this paper parallel an overall evolution of the practice of consultation-liaison psychiatry in response to managed care influences and other systems pressures. This consultation-liaison paradigm expansion with diversified sources of funding support facilitates the development of consultation-liaison psychiatry along additional clinical, administrative, research, and educational dimensions. Other university medical centers may consider adaptation of some of the initiatives described here to their institutions.

Psychotic disorders are relatively rare in the primary care setting, compared with depressive and anxiety disorders, but patient suffering is significantly higher for patients with psychotic symptoms. Primary care physicians are assuming more responsibility for the area of these patients in today's managed care environment. The practitioner needs to eliminate medical, substance, and mood origins of the psychotic symptoms before assuming a patient has a psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia). This article outlines a diagnostic and treatment approach for patients with psychotic symptoms who are managed in the primary care setting.

Objective: To assess the viability of telemedicine as a vehicle for offering mental health consultations to primary-care patients., Methods: Satisfaction ratings from 34 mental health encounters were compared with ratings from a convenience sample of 59 non-mental health encounters on four aspects of satisfaction: self-reported ability to speak freely; probability of further use of telemedicine; perceived experience of telemedicine personnel; and relative preference for a telemedicine visit compared with a face-to-face visit. The study was conducted in the context of the Telemedicine Program at the University of California, Davis., Results: No significant differences in satisfaction were found between mental health and non-mental health encounter groups for any of the four aspects of satisfaction., Conclusions: Ratings from patients receiving mental health consultation using telemedicine yielded levels of satisfaction similar to those found in telemedicine consultations in non-mental health medical areas. The results support telemedicine as a means to extend mental health consultation to rural primary-care patients.