Telemental health, or telepsychiatry, refers to the use of videoconferencing to provide healthcare services remotely, and can take place in a variety of settings, including institutions, communities, and patients' offices and/or homes. While the benefits are generally recognized, the legal, regulatory, safety and security considerations as well as potential liability exposures may not be as well known. This course will provide an overview of not only these considerations but also risk management strategies and best practices as the field of telepsychiatry evolves.

Course References

• American Psychiatric Association and American Telemedicine Association. (2018). Best Practices in Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/Telepsychiatry/APA-ATA-Best-Practices-in-Videoconferencing-Based-Telemental-Health.pdf.
• American Medical Association. (n.d.). Professionalism in the Use of Social Media. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/professionalism-use-social-media.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). The Principles of Medical Ethics. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/Ethics/principles-medical-ethics.pdf.

Educational Objectives

• Recognize legal, regulatory, safety, and security considerations as well as general standard of care issues when using telepsychiatry
• Discuss risk management and liability exposures when using telepsychiatry with patients
• Identify risk mitigation strategies and best practices with the use of telepsychiatry

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
Program Start Date: February 1, 2023
Program End Date: December 31, 2023

Target Audience

Psychiatrists, Medical Students, and Residents/Fellows

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate showing the date of completion and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by American Psychiatric Association (APA) and American Professional Agency, Inc. APA is jointly accredited by the American Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The APA designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

Presenter:

• Anne Huben-Kearney, RN, CPHQ, CPHRM, CPPS, DFASHRM, AVP, Risk Management Group, AWAC Services. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Program Planners:

• Anne Huben-Kearney, RN, CPHQ, CPHRM, CPPS, DFASHRM, AVP, Risk Management Group, AWAC Services. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education/ Deputy Medical Director, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance