PILOT-STUDIES OF TELEMEDICINE FOR PATIENTS WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Objective: Remote video psychiatric assessment holds promise for provi ding expert consultation to underserved areas. The authors assessed th e reliability of rating scales administered in person and over video t o patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Method: Rating scales f or obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and anxiety symptoms were adminis tered in person (N=16) and by means of narrow-bandwidth video transmis sion over one digital telephone line (N=10). Interrater reliability wa s determined for each condition; for the video interviews one rater sa t at the local site in front of the videoconsulting apparatus and aske d the questions, and the patient and the second rater sat at the remot e site. Results: Reliability was excellent in both conditions, and the re was no degradation in reliability when the assessment was conducted over video. Conclusions: Telemedicine resulted in near-perfect interr ater agreement on rating scale scores. Its use for other disorders and for more in-depth assessments should be explored.