The effect of telemental versus in-person mental health consults in the emergency department on 30-day utilization and processes of care.
Jin Ho HanErica KochAlvin D JefferyThomas J ReeseChad DornShannon PughMelissa RubensteinJo Ellen WilsonCorey CampbellMichael J WardPublished in: Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (2023)
TMH was not significantly associated with the 30-day composite outcome of return ED/UCC visits, rehospitalizations, and death compared with traditional in-person mental health evaluations. TMH was significantly associated with increased ED/UCC length of stay and decreased odds of placing an involuntary psychiatric hold. Future studies are required to confirm these findings and, if confirmed, explore the potential mechanisms for these associations.