NCT01901315

Psychiatric Care Via Videoconferencing

New Information and Communication Technologies in the Delivery of Mental Health Treatment: Psychiatric Care Via Videoconferencing

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 107 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Sao Paulo General Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 55 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this project is to compare the effectiveness between face-to-face consultations and consultations via videoconferencing among patients treated in the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq).

Detailed description

Introduction: Within the emergence of the Internet and for the purposes of providing psychiatric services across distances, the provision of mental health service via video counseling has become a possible way of mental health service delivery. An appropriate systematization of the propaedeutic methods in psychiatry, according to the interactive resources of telemedicine, and a standardized assessment based on clinical records turn this method to a viable alternative for service delivery all over the world. The main benefit of video counseling is an increased access to care services. But, so far, there is still limited research regarding to the effectiveness of telepsychiatry in the management of mental illnesses. Objective: To verify the applicability of psychiatric attendance via Interned-based videoconferencing, comparing various quality characteristics between this method and face-to-face attendance, on the basis of a one-year follow-up study with a randomized clinical trial (RCT) design. Material and methods: 100 patients of the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq) between 18 to 55 years old with depressive disorders are randomly allocated to a control (monthly face-to-face consultation with the attending psychiatrist) or intervention group. The intervention group will have consultations with the attending psychiatrist through internet-based videoconference. For reasons of patient safety, consultations at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months will be realized in a face-to-face form for all patients. At baseline, and after 6 and 12 months mental health, satisfaction with treatment, therapeutic relationship, and medical compliance will be assessed. Depression will be assessed at baseline, and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Conditions

• Depression

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Online consultation	Patients in the online consultation (intervention) group have monthly consultation with their attending psychiatrist through videoconferencing during one year. After each consultation, the medication is sent to the patient through a home delivery program. For reasons of patient safety, consultations at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months will be realized in a face-to-face form at the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq).
PROCEDURE	Face-to-face consultation	Patients in the face-to-face consultation (control) group have monthly face-to-face consultation with their attending psychiatrist during one year at the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq).

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-03-01
• Primary completion: 2015-04-01
• Completion: 2015-05-01
• First posted: 2013-07-17
• Last updated: 2015-05-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Brazil