Caraway’s Post

Revolutionizing Mental Health Care: Remote Psychiatry Platform The mental healthcare landscape is evolving thanks to technological innovations that improve the effectiveness and accessibility of mental health services.  In-person consultations are valuable but often face limits like long waiting periods, geographical barriers, travel costs, and stigmas associated with visits to a mental health professional. Remote psychiatry has emerged as a response. It’s a flexible and discreet option for patients and mental health care providers.  Psych 1 is a great example of a dedicated psychiatric telehealth provider revolutionizing the practice and delivery of psychiatry in Australia. Let’s discover why digital innovations like this platform hold immense transformative potential. https://lnkd.in/dQwhe28N #telehealth #onlinehelp #digital #remotepsychiatry

Did you know that between 2016 and 2021, Psychiatry (+26.3%) saw the second most growth in first-year ACGME fellows and residents? 💡 This growth is prominently due to lifestyle choices—in particular the ability to control one’s own calendar. As psychiatry grows, there has also been an increase in interest in telepsychiatry. This allows patients who do not have immediate access to mental health services (eg, those who live in rural communities) to receive care from trained psychiatric clinicians. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gfxEWa4S #RuralGME #RuralHealth

First Virtual Psychiatry Unit in British Columbia Fraser Health, a leading healthcare provider in British Columbia, is launching of its first virtual psychiatry unit. It began as a pilot project in September 2022 am] and has now evolved into a full-fledged unit that has already served 140 patients. This innovative approach allows patients to receive high-quality psychiatric care from the comfort of their own homes. Radhika Khosla, who has been involved in the project since its developmental stages, emphasizes the significance of this achievement. As the unit's manager, she highlights that although patients receive treatment at home, this is a hospital-admitted unit, offering care equivalent to that of a traditional hospital. The virtual psychiatry unit aims to match patients with the right environment for their mental health to thrive. Research indicates that patients often recover better in familiar surroundings, and prolonged hospital stays can have a detrimental effect on their condition and independence. Patients admitted to the unit receive the necessary equipment, including an LTE-enabled iPad for connectivity and vital monitoring devices such as blood-pressure cuffs. The technology is user-friendly, ensuring that patients can easily access the care they need. One former patient, Julie (name changed for privacy), expressed how the Virtual Psychiatry Unit transformed her mental health journey. She received timely support from her care team and was able to maintain her daily routines while undergoing treatment, a privilege she might not have had in a traditional hospital setting. The unit's flexibility has even allowed new mothers struggling with post-partum depression to receive care while staying close to their newborns, enabling breastfeeding and maternal bonding during therapy sessions. Fraser Health's virtual psychiatry unit is a testament to the power of innovation and patient-centric care, making mental health treatment more accessible, dignified, and effective for those in need. This pioneering initiative is not only changing lives but also setting a new standard for mental health care. https://lnkd.in/e676HZNC #psychiatry #psychiatrist #postpartum #depression #mentalhealth #mentalhealthcare #virtualcare #mentalhealthtreatmens #anxiety #ptsd #canada

Older adults with bipolar disorder are some of the least understood of all psychiatry patients. Because the condition can shorten a person’s lifespan by as much as two decades, many patients simply don’t survive into their 60s, 70s and beyond to help inform research and clinical decision-making about what the ideal care for them should be. As a result, doctors and researchers who study the condition consider an “older adult” with bipolar disorder to be age 50 or older. “Folks lose one to two decades of life, so if you just focus on what we traditionally think of as seniors, age 65 or older, you're really not addressing the issue,” says UH psychiatrist Martha Sajatovic, MD, Director of the Neurological and Behavioral Outcomes Center and Willard W. Brown Chair in Neurological Outcomes. Even with this expanded definition of “older adult,” data on bipolar disorder is relatively scarce, Dr. Sajatovic says. “There’s not very much attention to what we need to do to support and treat people with bipolar disorder who are older,” she adds. “Many of them aren’t around, unfortunately. An additional and important burden to people living with bipolar disorder is stigma — negative societal attitudes and behaviors that are directed towards people with a mental health condition. Because they fear stigma or discrimination, people don't want to talk about it or seek help for their bipolar disorder. The other unfortunate thing that happens is when people get older, there can be a tendency to believe anything that happens in the brain is due to dementia or other kinds of conditions rather than bipolar disorder.” Some research to date has shown that bipolar disorder is indeed different in older adults, Dr. Sajatovic says. However, with more people now living longer, she says, much more study is needed. To that end, Dr. Sajatovic has helped lead an international coalition to invigorate the study of bipolar disorder in older adults. The Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database (GAGE‐BD) project is an integrated database, combining data from studies of older adults with bipolar disorder conducted by different sites from around the world. Funded by a grant from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD), the project includes Dr. Sajatovic and contributors from University of California at San Diego, Lady Davis Institute of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands. For more information about this research, please visit https://lnkd.in/gtM6azsw   #bipolardisorder #mentalhealth #patientsfirst

The AAMC’s Improving Maternal Mental Health Outcomes: Varied Approaches to Closing the Gap of Care learning series highlights the efforts of academic medical centers and nonprofit organizations to address the maternal mental health crisis. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are commonly underdiagnosed and undertreated. Primary care, obstetric, and other perinatal care professionals often have questions on how to evaluate, initiate, and follow-up on treatment for perinatal mental health and substance use disorders. State-funded perinatal psychiatry access programs offer training, consultation, resources, and referrals to build the capacity of perinatal care professionals to screen, assess, and treat perinatal mental health and substance use disorders. Our upcoming webinar, “Successes and Challenges of State-Funded Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs,” will be held Oct. 12 @ 4 p.m. ET. Representatives from Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) for Moms, Project TEACH New York, and NC Maternal Mental Health MATTERS will provide background on their programs, and share the successes, challenges, and opportunities they have faced. Registration is free. Register at https://ow.ly/xrOk50POpks

Read our expert's article for PM360 Magazine to discover how a specialized EHR can help provide mental health services remotely. https://lnkd.in/dDnGhAXE #ehr #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #psychology #psychiatry

Excited to share my thoughts on the role of technology in enhancing patient care in psychology and psychiatry! Thanks to Connections Child and Family Center and Featured for giving me the opportunity to share my insights on streamlining care with app-based systems. Check out the full article and let me know in the comments what you would add! #technology #patientcare #psychology #psychiatry Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/gddFfpU3

Psychiatry’s Future Progress Depends on Innovation, Collaboration, and Access The future of psychiatry holds promise and potential for transformative change, bringing us closer to more effective and accessible mental health care. In a world characterized by rapid technological advancements, shifting healthcare landscapes, and evolving patient needs, psychiatry must evolve too. Dr. Carlene MacMillan, MD, a dedicated psychiatrist, envisions a brighter future for mental health care, one that leverages innovation, fosters collaboration, and ensures access for all. One of the challenges in the current mental health landscape is the lack of seamless access to patients' historical data. In an age when retail businesses can access comprehensive customer data with ease, psychiatry often struggles to retrieve essential patient information, such as past medications or therapist history. Dr. MacMillan envisions a future where mental health care fully embraces technological progress. This future includes easy access to the latest research on mental health treatments, the ability to offer evidence-based insurance coverage, and a comprehensive living document containing a patient's psychiatric and medical history. Innovation in psychiatry is already well underway, and it's changing the way we approach mental health care. Telehealth has brought care to patients' homes, offering convenience and accessibility. Emerging treatments, such as psychedelics and MDMA-assisted therapy, are being explored as potential solutions for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. Additionally, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is evolving with innovations like the SNT Neuromodulation System, offering faster relief for depression. Collaboration is another key driver of progress in psychiatry. Primary care providers are increasingly addressing mental health issues, emphasizing the need for a more collaborative care model. She emphasizes the importance of a healthcare system where primary care physicians work in tandem with psychiatrists, ensuring patients receive the right care at the right time. The concept of hybrid care, combining telehealth and in-person care when necessary, is gaining traction, providing a flexible approach to mental health treatment. However, there are significant barriers to overcome on the path to a brighter future for psychiatry. Payment structures must evolve to support innovative treatments adequately. Historically, insurance systems have undervalued mental health care, focusing on procedural metrics that may not capture the full impact of mental health treatments. #telehealth #tms #tmstherapy #depressiontreat #mdma #mentalhealthcare #mentalhealthmatters #psychiatry #psychiatrist #mentalhealthprofessionals #mentalhealthtreatment https://lnkd.in/emZzKdSZ

As a perinatal social worker, every day is different. During my time at Duke, I’ve learned so much about various resources that impact maternal and infant health outcomes while also learning how to address the needs of vulnerable families during transformative periods of life, such as parenthood. Check out this article to learn more about my work with Duke Psychiatry. #maternalmentalhealth #pregnancyoutcomes #momandbaby  https://lnkd.in/e4EvMT7R

"I often think about what the future of psychiatry looks like. Not in a 'Jetsons' futuristic way, but more in terms of how psychiatrists can profoundly impact our patients’ mental health." Carlene MacMillan, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Osmind, encourages us to look beyond traditional methods in her thought-provoking article in MedCity News. Key Topics Covered: - Embracing Cutting-Edge Changes: How technological advancements are revolutionizing mental health care. - Breaking Down Silos: The importance of collaboration in psychiatry, bringing together clinicians, researchers, and patients. - Making Access a Priority: The need to ensure innovative treatments are available to all, leaving no patient behind. Dive into the full article for insightful perspectives on shaping psychiatry's future. https://lnkd.in/efE4_BV4 #MentalHealthInnovation #PsychiatryFuture #CollaborationInHealthcare #CarleneMacMillan #Osmind #AccessibleCare