Telepsychiatry in the opinion of Polish patients and psychiatrists

Abstract

Background

Telepsychiatry takes advantage of modern communication technologies and new forms of patient–doctor and doctor–patient contact.

Objective

This research focuses on the knowledge of telepsychiatry and the attitude to it among patients and psychiatrists in Poland.

Subject and methods

An anonymous survey was conducted among 105 psychiatrists aged 26–74, including 74 women and 31 men and 102 patients aged 21–79, including 61 women and 41 men.

Results

Research reveals that the majority of patients never met with the concept of “epsychiatry” and do not know what it means. However, more than 50% of respondents answered positively to every question considering the utility of telepsychiatry. Furthermore according to 18%, it is possible to replace an eye-to-eye conversation by videoconferencing. Only 15% of doctors claim to have an extensive knowledge on telepsychiatry, and 10% do not know what it means. The vast majority of physicians perceive positive aspects of this method of medical care, but 63% would not want any general insertion of telepsychiatry. Doctors are apprehensive of losing personal data and medical confidentiality, and of the necessity of legal changes.

Conclusions

The obtained results allow us to conclude that Polish patients and doctors, regardless of their knowledge, age, gender or disease, perceive advantages of telepsychiatry. In connection with this, implementing this method into the Polish medical market makes sense and is in accordance with both patients’ and doctors’ opinion. Based on our research, we confirmed that there is a necessity of wider popularisation of telepsychiatry among Polish therapists.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.