Patient, health professional and psychiatrist satisfaction with emergency department telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study

Background Emergency department telepsychiatry (EDTP) can improve healthcare delivery. However, no studies document implementation and overall satisfaction within the Canadian pandemic context. The objectives of this study were to (i) describe barriers associated with EDTP; and (ii) assess patients’, ED health professionals’, and psychiatrists’ perceived satisfaction with EDTP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in three New Brunswick hospitals over 8-weeks in 2021. Psychiatrists ( n = 6) completed a self-report questionnaire following each EDTP consultation, patients ( n = 58) completed a telephone-administered questionnaire 1-week post EDTP consultation, and ED health professionals ( n = 31) completed a single self-report questionnaire at the end of the study period. Results One-third of psychiatrists and two-thirds of ED health professionals encountered a barrier, respectively. The most common barriers related to problems linked to sound/video/connection, lack of experience and guidelines, or increased workload. Despite these barriers, high levels of satisfaction were reported by patients and psychiatrists (mean satisfaction score (sd): 4.2 (0.6) and 4.8 (0.4), respectively). ED health professionals reported lower satisfaction scores; however, most believed that EDTP was associated with healthcare delivery advantages. Conclusions These findings indicate moderate to high EDTP satisfaction. Additional training, guidelines, and change management strategies may be necessary to insure harmonious EDTP implementation for all health professionals.