Fewer mental health facilities offering telehealth since end of pandemic

Fewer mental health facilities offering telehealth since end of pandemic

Telehealth availability for mental health has declined since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to a study published online July 10 in JAMA Network Opened.

Ryan K. McBain, Ph.D., of the RAND Corporation in Washington, DC, and colleagues evaluated changes in the availability of telehealth services at 1,404 U.S. outpatient mental health settings during (December 2022 through March 2023) and 1,001 settings after (September through November 2023; second wave) the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The researchers found that the percentage of institutions offering telehealth decreased from 81.6 to 79.0 percent (odds ratio) [OR]0.84; 95 percent confidence interval [CI]0.72 to 1.00; P

“Since the end of the public health emergency, the availability of telehealth has declined in terms of the scope and nature of services provided, suggesting that targeted policy measures are needed to maintain access to telehealth,” the authors write.

More information:
Ryan K. McBain et al, Telehealth Availability for Mental Health Care During and After the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, JAMA Network Opened (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.20853

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