Telepsychiatry implementation in Qatar: A three-year analysis of no-show rates and its impact on mental health service delivery.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a rapid shift to telehealth and reshaped healthcare delivery worldwide. In Qatar, telehealth has emerged as a critical tool for ensuring uninterrupted care while minimizing the spread of viruses. However, its long-term efficacy, particularly in mental health services, is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to address this gap by evaluating the post-pandemic impact of telehealth on the accessibility of mental health services in Qatar. Methods: We conducted a comparative analysis of no-show rates over a four-month period before the initiation of telepsychiatry and telepsychology (March to June 2019) and corresponding periods in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The analysis considered visit types (new visit and follow-up visit) in various psychiatric (child and adolescent, adult, geriatric, forensic, and intellectual disability) and psychological outpatient clinics before and after the implementation of telehealth services. Results: Among both new and follow-up cases, there was a significant reduction (p < 0.0001) in the collective proportion of no-show rates following the introduction of telehealth compared to the rates recorded before the implementation. Exceptions to this trend were appointments in child and adolescent mental health service psychology and forensic psychiatric services. Conclusion: Telehealth has proven instrumental in improving access to mental health services in Qatar post-pandemic. Its integration shows the potential for reducing no-show rates and enhancing continuity of care. These findings are important for healthcare policy-making and practice in Qatar and provide valuable insights into the global discourse on the evolving role of telehealth.