Key Takeaways:
- TelePsychiatry enabled timely psychiatric evaluations for patients presenting to the ED
- 71% of patients were able to be stabilized and discharged to home or lower level of care
- Improved ED boarding times
- Patients received appropiate care faster
Challenge
Without access to a psychiatrist, a rural hospital struggled to provide timely crisis management and disposition decisions for patients in the Emergency Room (ED). The negative impacts included:
- Delays in treatment and psychological stress for patients
- Unnecessarily long ED boarding times and reduced bed turnover
- Added strain on staff and fewer resources for other patients
- Slower discharges to home or the next site of care
Solution
The hospital partnered with AmplifyMD for TelePsychiatry services to support the ED.
“This service has been game changing for our hospital. The TelePsychiatrists’ documentation identifies the criteria needed for psychiatric placement when appropiate, and they’re helping us discharge more patients safely to home or to a lower level of care.”
-Director of Telehealth Services
Outcomes
With the addition of TelePsychiatry services, the hospital’s ED staff has been able to provide more timely interventions for patients who present in the ED with symptoms of a psychiatric episode, addiction, or suicidal ideation. Patients are receiving appropriate care faster, and key metrics have improved.
12-month impact*
36
MINUTES
on average,
from request to psychiatric consult
82%
of psychiatric
patients able to be discharged
on the same day
79%
of patients meeting
inpatient psychiatric admission now able to
be admitted the same day
71%
were able
to be stabilized and discharged to home
or a lower level of care
*Patients who received a consult from AmplifyMD
Want to learn more about ED TelePsychiatry programs?
Contact us to learn more about AmplifyMD’s TelePsychiatry services, and to see how we’re helping hospitals extend specialist expertise, reduce transfers, and strengthen continuity of care.
