A randomized, controlled trial of child psychiatric assessments conducted using videoconferencing

We used a PC-based videoconferencing system to conduct child psychiatry ass essments. The telecommunications link was six digital lines, giving a total bandwidth of 336 kbit/s. Twenty-three patients (aged 4-16 years), accompan ied by their parents, completed two psychiatric assessments, one via videoc onferencing and another face to face (FTF). The order of assessments was ra ndomized. Questionnaires were used to record the diagnosis, treatment recom mendations and the psychiatrists', patients' and their parents' satisfactio n with each assessment. An independent evaluator.concluded that in 22 cases (96%) the diagnosis and treatment recommendations made via the videoconfer encing system were the same as those made FTF. The psychiatrists stated tha t videoconferencing assessments were an adequate alternative to FTF assessm ents and did not interfere with diagnosis. However, the responses from the psychiatrist satisfaction questionnaire showed that they preferred FTF asse ssments. No significant difference was found in the patients' or parents' s atisfaction responses after the two types of assessment. The majority of ch ildren (82%) 'liked' using the telepsychiatry system and six (26%) preferre d it to a FTF assessment. Most parents (91%) indicated that they would pref er to use the videoconferencing system than to travel a long distance to se e a psychiatrist in person.