Telepsychiatry evaluation in the north-west of England: preliminary results of a qualitative study

A telepsychiatry referral service for patients suffering from anxiety and d epression was evaluated from a user perspective. Low-cost video-phones link ed a psychiatrist to two general practices in the north-west of England. Qu antitative data were collected using a semistructured interview schedule. T wenty-two patients and 13 doctors were interviewed after a video-link consu ltation. Some users were very positive about the service and recognized its potential benefits, while others were more ambivalent. Patients saw the se rvice as a means of obtaining additional 'expert' advice. General practitio ners felt that the service might adversely affect the doctor-patient relati onship in psychiatry. Both patients and clinicians recognized that the vide o-link modified normal interaction. Users need to adapt to this form of com munication. An induction session is recommended for both patients and clini cians.