WVU Charleston’s Dr. Patrick Kerr Article on Telepsychiatry featured in Journal of Psychiatric Services

Patrick L. Kerr , PhD associate professor of behavioral medicine and psychiatry and a licensed clinical psychologist at WVU’s School of Medicine Charleston Campus is featured in the April 2020 issue of Psychiatry Services Journal as part of a collection of articles entitled “Considerations for Telepsychiatry Service Implementation in the Era of COVID-19.”

The article, “Using Telehealth to Implement Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy” by Loren Dent, Ph.D., Aimee Peters, L.C.S.W., Patrick L. Kerr, Ph.D., Heidi Mochari-Greenberger, Ph.D., M.P.H., Reena L. Pande, M.D., M.Sc. first appeared in the journal in 2018, and was chosen by editors for inclusion in this current collection.

Telepsychiatry, or the use of technology to provide mental health services, has increasingly been studied to meet the growing demand for psychiatric care. Moreover, telepsychiatry has been implemented in various settings to address barriers to accessing psychiatric care, including shortages in mental health clinicians, remote geographic locations, social stigma related to initiating care in a mental health setting, limited mental health parity, and fragmented systems of care. The utility of telepsychiatry is relevant now more than ever, as the world endures a global pandemic and as mental health professionals seek ways to initiate and continue much-needed mental health services. For instance, where physical distancing (people keeping at least 6 feet apart) is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19, telepsychiatry helps meet the demand for mental health services. This benefit is of particular salience during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many clinics pare down their onsite mental health workforce to enhance safety of staff and patients.

Journal editors Ayana Jordan, M.D., Ph.D. and Lisa B. Dixon, M.D., M.P.H. describe the collection as highlighting the breadth of available telepsychiatry services, and considerations for implementing telepsychiatry in various mental health settings, and billing implications. It also underscores the importance of helping patients use telepsychiatry services, understanding the toll this new platform can have on mental health providers, and offering ways to minimize burnout among telepsychiatry providers to improve outcomes for providers and patients alike. A host of telepsychiatry options are available, including services for patients with psychotic disorders, for veterans through the Veterans Health Administration system, and for people who live in rural areas. As we move through this crisis, we should do our best to implement needed telehealth interventions, maintain these services into the future, and expand the evidence base around telepsychiatry, including evaluating its impact on mental health services and patient outcomes.

Psychiatric Services, established in 1950, is published monthly by the American Psychiatric Association. The peer-reviewed journal features research reports on issues related to the delivery of mental health services, especially for people with serious mental illness in community-based treatment programs. Long known as an interdisciplinary journal, Psychiatric Services recognizes that provision of high-quality care involves collaboration among a variety of professionals, frequently working as a team. Authors of research reports published in the journal include psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, drug and alcohol treatment counselors, economists, policy analysts, and professionals in related systems such as criminal justice and welfare systems. In the mental health field, the current focus on patient-centered, recovery-oriented care and on dissemination of evidence-based practices is transforming service delivery systems at all levels. Research published in Psychiatric Services contributes to this transformation.