Considerations Regarding the Use of Telehealth and Other Technologies in the Care of Older Adults. Co-sponsored by ACLP's Geriatric Psychiatry, and Telepsychiatry SIGs

In the COVID era, telepsychiatry applications have has become ubiquitous across the care spectrum and although many specialties are transitioning back to in-person care delivery, telehealth services are likely here to stay for psychiatry, especially for Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Despite many older adults becoming increasingly familiar with telepsychiatry platforms and care delivery, challenges still exist. This symposium, co-sponsored by the ACLP Telepsychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry SIGs, will review practical experiences from speakers at four different institutions. We will review the benefits to providers and patients as well as challenges in care delivery of telehealth for older adults and will review some of the academic programs that are studying their implementation and sustainability.

Dr. Rabinowitz has extensive experience treating older adult patients via telehealth, including in the nursing home environment. He will review some of the challenges and clinical pearls of providing psychiatric care to older adults via telehealth. Dr. Rabinowitz is also the Principal Investigator for the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center (NETRC), whose mission is to increase access to quality health care services for rural and medically underserved populations through telehealth. NETRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. Nationally, there are 14 Telehealth Resource Centers, including 12 Regional Centers and two National Centers, which focus on areas of technology assessment and telehealth policy.

Dr. Gentry will review her experience in supervising trainees in the use of telehealth platforms and the importance of developing telehealth specific curricula and assessments. She will review results from a study she led exploring clinician satisfaction upon transitioning to telehealth during the pandemic. She will discuss how the pandemic has facilitated the expansion of telehealth as well as the uncertainties regarding telehealth due to the ending of the Federal COVID public health emergency. She will also review some of the implications of performing cognitive assessments, including formal neurocognitive assessments in older adults via telehealth.

Dr. Cremens will present several case examples of the use of telehealth to maintain psychiatric care for older adults during the pandemic. These cases will be used to highlight challenges and opportunities for working with older adults through telehealth. She will also review individual and system level factors that are barriers to or facilitators for the use of telehealth such as digital health literacy, access to technology, insurance reimbursement and patient or provider preferences.

Dr. Wilson will review her experience providing emergency psychiatry consultative services via telehealth at multiple institutions and review some of the benefits and challenges of emergency consultative work, especially as it pertains to treating older adults experiencing a mental health crisis. Additionally, she will review results her research which explores a social worker led tele-mental health initiative to expand access to emergency mental health services to rural Veterans.