The Practice of Psychiatric E-Consultation: Current State and Future Directions

Abstract

Objective This article summarizes the existing literature on psychiatric electronic consultation (e-consultation or e-consult) to provide guidance on psychiatric e-consult practice and suggest next steps in research on psychiatric e-consults. Method A narrative review was conducted using relevant search terms in PubMed and Google Scholar. Results and Discussion The psychiatric e-consult is a method of asynchronous consultation between primary care providers and psychiatric specialists that is associated with primary care provider satisfaction and promotes access to specialist guidance in mental health care. Major themes in the literature include contextual factors that affect implementation of psychiatric e-consult services, outcomes associated with psychiatric e-consults, and specific practical considerations that may affect psychiatric e-consult technique. Conclusions Psychiatric e-consults may help address the widespread lack of access to specialty psychiatric care. Further studies are needed to examine clinical outcomes based on psychiatry e-consults.