Practice guidelines for videoconference-based telepsychiatry in South Africa.
Abstract
Telepsychiatry, the practice of psychiatry over distance using information and communication technologies is, after teleradiology, the most practiced form of telemedicine in the world. As with any new technology, clinical service, or intervention in medicine, it is prudent to have guidelines for the safe and efficacious use of the technology in clinical practice. Guidelines facilitate best practice and provide both clinicians and patients with a set of standards and procedures that serve to protect their interests. Protection is particularly important when dealing with vulnerable groups. As with any new field in medicine, pioneers learn from their experiences, both positive and negative, which in turn direct the development of guidelines. Clinical, technical and operational guidelines should ideally be developed by clinicians working in the field in conjunction with their professional associations and not by regulators or legislators who may not have an understanding of the nuances and special needs of the discipline. Guidelines produced in this manner assist regulators and legislators in overseeing safe and sound practice. The need for telepsychiatry in the developing world is great. It provides access to scarce specialist skills and reduces unnecessary travel. In the absence of guidelines for the good and ethical practice of telemedicine in South Africa, it was deemed necessary to develop guidelines for the practice of telepsychiatry in the hope of facilitating its implementation and uptake locally