Telepsychiatry by APRNs: An Answer to the Shortage of Pediatric Providers?

Abstract

Approximately 20% of US children have a mental health condition, but only a fraction of that population receives care. Inequitable distribution of the limited number of child and adolescent psychiatric providers is partly to blame. Telepsychiatry offers a way to increase access to mental health services for those that are currently underserved. Published literature demonstrates high levels of patient and provider satisfaction for telepsychiatry with children. However, providers in these studies are primarily telepsychologists or telepychiatrists, not advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). This article describes the services of a nurse practitioner providing pediatric telepsychiatry and gives the results from a parental satisfaction survey that evaluated both the modality and the provider. The survey, previously validated, used a 5-point Likert scale to assess strong disagreement to strong agreement on 12 statements followed by a section for comments and suggestions. Results of the survey showed high levels of parental satisfaction with the modality and the provider. Specific details on parental satisfaction with technical functioning, comfort level, and access to care, as well as patient characteristics and service types, are presented.