Factors influencing uptake of telemental health via videoconferencing at high and low adoption sites within the Department of Veterans Affairs during COVID-19: a qualitative study.

Several positive overall influences on TMH-V uptake were identified across sites; respondents acknowledged multiple advantages of TMH-V (e.g., convenience), and providers' attitudes towards TMH-V improved as they gained experience. In contrast, complexity was a negative overall influence; TMH-V platforms and processes must be simple and user friendly to promote use. The emergence of Quality, Leadership engagement, and Champions as differentiators speaks to the importance of educating frontline staff and leadership at lower adoption sites about the evidence base demonstrating that TMH-V is high-quality care. Compatibility also emerged as a differentiator; if TMH-V is not easily integrated into provider workflows, uptake will falter. Future work should draw from these findings to develop implementation strategies aiming to increase TMH-V uptake at lower adoption sites, thereby increasing access to high-quality mental health care.