Experience of patients and their caregivers with telepsychiatry consultations: An exploratory study

BACKGROUND: While telepsychiatry became a prominent and widely used service in the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown, data regarding the patient’s experience of telepsychiatry consultations is lacking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we attempted to understand the experience and level of satisfaction of 129 patients receiving psychiatry consultations over video consultations from April 2021 to December 2021. We also tried to understand the factors that might be associated with the satisfaction of the patients. RESULTS: About three-fourths (77.5%) of the respondents were very satisfied with the quality of care provided and the overall experience of the consultation. The majority (92.2%) of the respondents reported that they would “definitely” recommend the telepsychiatry service to a friend or relative in need of a psychiatric consultation. The majority of the patients expressed high levels of satisfaction with the amount of time spent, the amount of freedom in expressing themselves, the amount of freedom in choosing the treatment option, the prescription provided, and the number of medications prescribed. The clarity of voice and the quality of connectivity throughout the consultation were found to be associated with the level of satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that overall satisfaction with teleconsultations was high among patients and/or caregivers for telepsychiatry consultations.