Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! See instructions here

Effectiveness Outcome of Telemental Health: 3 Meta-Analyses

MARLENE MAHEU, PhD

March 9, 2016 | Reading Time: 2 Minutes

 461

Please support Telehealth.org’s ability to deliver helpful news, opinions, and analyses by turning off your ad blocker. How

Thousands of studies have shown the effectiveness of telemental health services for specific populations, across all age groups, and with all disorders. To be more specific, these three meta-analyses have shown positive results:

Godleski, Darkins & Peters reported in April of 2012 that hospital utilization in mental health populations at the Veterans Administration were decreased by an average of 25% since the use of telehealth. Sample size: 98,609 patients

Backhaus and colleagues reported a meta-analysis in 2012. Of 821 potential articles, 65 were selected for inclusion. They concluded that video conferencing is feasible, has been used in a variety of therapeutic formats and with diverse populations, is generally associated with good user satisfaction, and is found to have similar clinical outcomes to traditional face-to-face psychotherapy.

Hilty, Ferrer, Parish, Johnston, Callahan & Yellowlees (2013) reviewed 755 studies and included 85 studies in their meta-analysis. Results: “Telemental health is effective for diagnosis and assessment across many populations (adult, child, geriatric, and ethnic) and for disorders in many settings (emergency, home health) and appears to be comparable to in-person care.”

Furthermore, high patient satisfaction measures across multiple dimensions have been reported by researchers, including Lindhiem and colleagues (2013); Finkelstein (2011), Hilty (2007), Frueh (2002). In fact, in a 2014 Mayo Clinic survey, 75% of patients reported that they would rather use telehealth for their health care needs than go into an office. In a survey by The Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, of the 1,500 respondents, 15% of the respondents indicated that they have already used telehealth.

References

Backhaus, A., Agha, Z., Maglione, M., Repp, A., Ross, B., Zuest, D., Rice-Thorp, N., Lohr, J., Thorp, S. (2012). Videoconferencing Psychotherapy: A Systematic Review. Psychological Services 2012, 9, (2), 111-131. (Ed.). (2010).

American Psychological Association (APA). Monitor on Psychology, 41(3), 11. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/03/telepsychology.aspx

Finkelstein, S., Speedie, S., Zhou, X., Potthoff, S., & Ratner, E. (2011). Perception, satisfaction and utilization of the VALUE home telehealth service. Journal of Telemedicine & Telecare, 17(6), 288-292. doi: 10.1258/jtt.2011.100712

Frueh, B. C., Pellegrin, K. L., Elhai, J. D., Hamner, M. B., Gold, P. B., Magruder, K. M., & Arana, G. W. (2002). Patient satisfaction among combat veterans receiving specialty PTSD treatment. J Psychiatric Practices, 8, 326-332.

Godleski, L., Darkins, A., Peters, J. (2014). Outcomes of 98.609 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Patients Enrolled in Telemental Health Services, 2006-2010. PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES ps. Psychiatryonline.org, 63 (4)

Hilty, D., Ferrer, D., Parish, M., Johnston, B., Callahan, E., & Yellowlees, P (2013). The Effectiveness of Telemental Health: A 2013 Review. Telemedicine Journal and e-Health. 19(6) 444-454. http://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2013.0075

Lindhiem, O., Bennett, C. B., Trentacosta, C. J., & McLear, C. (2014). Client preferences affect treatment satisfaction, completion, and clinical outcome: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psych Review, 34, 506-517.

Felke, T. P., & Healy, L. M. (2004). Creating connections for international learning through distance learning technologies: A Caribbean- USA demonstration effort. Caribbean Journal of Social Work, 3(1), 142-158.

Introduction to Telehealth Theory & Practice

Enjoy a fast-moving overview of telebehavioral and telemental health. Understand the key points related to telehealth clinical, legal, ethical, technology, reimbursement, social media and other pivotal issues.

How Do I Create a Therapeutic Alliance Using Telehealth?

Improve your telehealth skills with this highly focused discussion of evidence-based strategies for enhancing your telehealth telepresence and therapeutic effectiveness. Taught by 3 telehealth industry leaders!

BCTP®-III Telehealth Training & Certificate

Join the elite professionals who have immersed themselves in the depths of telehealth training, obtained monthly group consultation to tailor their learning to their needs, and earned the coveted BCTP®-III distinction!

Disclaimer: Telehealth.org offers information as educational material designed to inform you of issues, products, or services potentially of interest. We cannot and do not accept liability for your decisions regarding any information offered. Please conduct your due diligence before taking action. Also, the views and opinions expressed are not intended to malign any organization, company, or individual. Product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks or images are the property of their respective trademark holders. There is no affiliation, sponsorship, or partnership suggested by using these brands unless contained in an ad. Some of Telehealth.org’s blog content is generated with the assistance of ChatGPT. We do not and cannot offer legal, ethical, billing technical, medical, or therapeutic advice. Use of this site constitutes your agreement to Telehealth.org Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.