Tele-consult Child and Adolescent Psychology

Iceland Distance treatment

The department of child and adolescent psychiatry in Akureyri Hospital (BUG), has treated children/adolescents and their families at the hospital for some years by a team, consisting of a psychiatrist, a psychologist and an occupational therapist. In the year 2018, the psychiatrist moved away to Reykjavik and as a result, a tele-consult solution was established. The solution makes it possible for the team to keep on working together with the psychiatrist available for online consult, either with the team and clients, or directly to the client with or without a family member.

The main effect is the survival of the team at BUG, diverging from a localised team to a virtual team. It makes it possible to continue treating children and adolescents in Akureyri and nearby towns without having to recruit another psychiatrist or send clients to Reykjavik with increased cost and inconvenience.

The team at BUG and clients/patients and their family

The solution makes it possible for the BUG-team to work together regardless of where the employers live. The psychiatrist is available for online consult, either with the team and clients, or directly to the client with or without a family member.

Quotes/testimonials

“The solution has made it possible to continue working with a child and adolescent psychiatrist on the team and for the most part the technology works well, but there is nothing that can substitute having the person sitting in front of you, especially with children that need emotional support and encouragement”

– Team member at BUG

Elaboration

Needs and challenges

Without a child and adolescent psychiatrist located in Akureyri Hospital, it would not be possible to continue the practice of mental treatment in the health district. It needs however to bear in mind that talking to someone on a screen can make some patients uncomfortable and communication may be harder due to lack of engagement in sessions.

Lack of personnel at BUG to attend to the technological aspects has sometimes been a hurdle and resulted in patients or their advocates trying to make adjustments on their own.

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Solution and function

The solution makes it possible to continue work within the team at BUG as well as treat patients in the district.

The tele-consult solution makes it possible for the team to keep on working together via an encrypted secure connection between end-users and the psychiatrist is available for online consult, either with the team and clients, or directly to the client with or without a family member. The solution is located in a consulting room at Akureyri Hospital and in the psychiatrist’s home.

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