Tele Psychiatry

The Telepsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER is located Level 2A, Nehru Hospital. The Centre has a separate room for video-conferencing (VC) to ensure privacy. The infrastructure for VC includes desktops, laptops and a LED screen for better resolution, with internet connection via the National Knowledge Network (NKN), which is the fastest network.

Asynchronous

Store-forward or asynchronous mode of communication uses electronic mail.

Synchronous

Synchronous or real-time/ live communication involves two-way interactive transmission and mimics face‑to‑face interviewing and treatment; and most 0commonly uses video-conferencing (VC). Besides one-to-one VC, multi-point VC is being used to deliver group interventions

See figure 1 showing use of multi-point VC at Telepsychiatry Centre, PGIMER and figure 2 demonstrating the use of multi-media in group sessions.

Telepsychiatry Services have been started for follow-up of already registered patients (registered in the Department of Psychiatry) for providing consultation and psychological treatments from September, 2018.

Direct Care is provided to the patient and family in form of consultation, individual and group therapy or caregiver training interventions. Direct care is provided through video-conferencing (VC). This service applies to the patients who are already registered and have received face-to-face (FTF) consultation including Consultant opinion following detailed evaluation at the Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Caregiver/ parent interventions: A weekly group intervention of 10 sessions using multi-point video-conferencing for parents skills training having children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder is run regularly. Figures 1 and 2 depict the same.