Telepsychiatry: Access in Rural Areas

Abstract

Numerous challenges have limited access to mental health services in rural areas. Some of these barriers have included transportation, number of providers, poverty, and lack of insurance. The purpose of this review was to identify and coalesce the benefits of telepsychiatry for adults living in rural communities in the United States to determine if telepsychiatry has improved access and quality of care. The methodology for this study was a literature review that followed a systematic approach. It was found that several studies supported that telepsychiatry has improved access and quality of care available in rural environments. Simultaneously, telepsychiatry in mental healthcare has not been utilized as it should in rural adult populations due to lack of access, an overall shortage of providers, and poor distribution of psychiatrists. While there are still barriers that prevent widespread utilization, telepsychiatry can improve mental health outcomes by linking rural patients to high-quality mental healthcare services that follow evidence-based care and best practices.