Clinical Value and Cost Savings Associated with Using Telepsychiatry to Treat Mentally Ill Prisoners: Results of a Psychiatrist Survey

• In Event: Mental Health Issues and Treatment in Prison

Abstract

Given that prisons are often located in remote areas, providing quality, onsite psychiatric care is often a challenge for prison systems. To address this problem in California, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) expanded the use of telepsychiatry to expand inmates’ access to psychiatric care, reduce wait times, and allow CDCR psychiatrists to provide services from centralized offices in larger cities. Prior to this, CDCR-employed psychiatrists were required to either relocate to remote areas or drive several hours to these areas to meet with only a small number of patients. The adoption of telepsychiatry has garnered strong support among CDCR’s administration to be a cost-effective alternative for providing care for mentally ill offenders living outside of major urban centers. However, the effectiveness and cost savings associated with telepsychiatry for this population have yet to be empirically established. As part of a larger randomized comparison of in-person psychiatric visits versus telepsychiatry, we conducted a survey of CDCR psychiatrists who have delivered services using both approaches to gain their perspectives. In this presentation, we provide their responses, including clinical and practical concerns. In addition, we provide an estimate of cost-savings associated with the use of telepsychiatry in California.

Authors

• David Farabee, University of California, Los Angeles

• Sheldon Zhang, San Diego State University

• Stacy Calhoun, University of California, Los Angeles / University of California, Irvine