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Telepsychiatry: an update on technology and its applications

Telepsychiatry is generally regarded as the use of information and communication technologies, and in particular videoconferencing, in the delivery of psychiatric care from a distance. It enables geographically isolated communities to gain access to a range of psychiatric services, and provides support for various types of health professionals who deal with mental health problems in remote and rural parts of the world. Although the initial use of videoconferencing in psychiatry began some 40 years ago, no psychiatric service applied it in a truly integrated and sustained manner until the early 1990s, when digital transmission of information started to replace analogue technology. The present review summarizes some key facts about the current technology of telepsychiatry. Also, a review of its recent applications in the delivery of psychiatric care, education and training, and of research into the feasibility, reliability and cost-effectiveness of telepsychiatry in different parts of the world is provided.