TELEPSYCHIATRY AND INNOVATIONS IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IN NURSING HOMES

Abstract

Based on the 2016 report by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been estimated that behavioral health disorders including dementia affect 65–90% of the estimated 1.5 million nursing home residents residing in 15,600 nursing homes across the United States. However, despite this, nursing home staff are often ill equipped to meet the mental health needs of their residents. Studies report that more than half of nursing homes do not have adequate access to psychiatric consultation, and three quarters are unable to obtain consultation and educational services for behavioral problems. The need for improved access to and quality of mental health services within nursing homes remains a pressing concern today. The aims of this session are to characterize the burden of mental illness in nursing home residents in the US and to describe the cutting-edge efforts to deliver psychiatric services to nursing homes by leveraging technology. First, Dr. Briana Mezuk from University of Michigan will describe a data science approach to estimate mental illness burden in nursing home as exemplified by her recent JAMA Psychiatry article on late-life suicides in long-term care facilities. Then, based on his ongoing AHRQ-funded randomized controlled trial, Dr. Glen Xiong from UC Davis will compare asynchronous telepsychiatry alongside synchronous telepsychiatry in skilled nursing facilities. Finally, Dr. Elizabeth Santos from University of Rochester will report the results from the analysis of the multifaceted URMC Geriatric Telepsychiatry Model implemented in 29 nursing homes across the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Afterwards. Joel Streim from University of Pennsylvania will lead the discussion and Q&A with the audience.