Telepsychiatry and Digital Mental Health

In this episode, Dr Choong-Siew Yong and Associate Professor Jeffrey Looi discuss the benefits and drawbacks of telepsychiatry and digital mental health delivery for general psychiatric care and specifically for children and adolescents. The pre- and post-pandemic approaches are discussed, including the emergency response for younger people. The conversation also examines the benefits and risks of telepsychiatry, including equitable digital technology access and technical challenges.  It also covers the use of telepsychiatry in rural and remote settings, and to allow videoconferencing when patients and their families are in different locations.  The discussion also explores new business models of telepsychiatry and the associated benefits and risks.

Dr Choong-Siew Yong is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Sydney, NSW. He has long-standing interests in medical workforce and education, practitioner regulation, doctors’ health and mental health policy. He has served on the executive committees of the Australian Medical Association, NSW Medical Board and Medical Council, and the NSW Doctors’ Health Advisory Service. For the RANZCP, he has served as the Chair of the Committee for Education Evaluation, Monitoring and Reporting and Continuing Medical Education (now known as the Committee for Continuing Professional Development). He is the current Chair of the Member Wellbeing Subcommittee.

A/Prof Jeffrey Looi, MBBS Syd, MD ANU, DMedSc Melb, FRANZCP, AFRACMA, is a clinical academic neuropsychiatrist, in private and public practice, and Head of the Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at the Australian National University School of Medicine and Psychology. Jeffrey leads the Australian, United States, Scandinavian-Spanish Imaging Exchange and the Consortium of Australian-Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy and Research Analysis. He has received multiple research and leadership awards including: a Fulbright Scholarship and Australian-Davos-Connection Future Summit Leadership Award and Fellowship of the AMA. He is a co-author on more than 330 peer-reviewed papers, involving UCLA, Karolinska Institute and University of Melbourne.

Journal articles:
Telepsychiatry & face-to-face psychiatric consultations
COVID-19 medicare benefits schedule telehealth for private psychiatric care
Comparison of out-of-pocket costs of Medicare-funded consultations
Trends of MBS telepsychiatry & consultant physician telehealth services
Client perspectives

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This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In M