The Covid-19 pandemic changed how mental health care is delivered in the UK and worldwide, with a rapid shift from face-to-face mental health consultations to telephone and video calls. However, little is known about what happened beyond the Covid-19 period, to what extent these consultation methods are used today, and how they affect care and health outcomes, especially in mental health where the relationship between the patient and heath professional is crucial.
Remote consultations, using the telephone and online platforms, can help more people access mental health care, particularly in areas with limited services such as some rural areas. However, mental health professionals know that the relationship between patient and provider can affect treatment outcomes, and we do not know how remote care might change this relationship.
Some studies show that remote consultations can be as effective as in-person visits for primary care and mental health. In the UK, one study showed that by April 2020, 90% of primary care consultations were done remotely. While phone consultations worked for most issues, the main challenge for doctors was to decide when to see patients in person if they noticed increased clinical risks.
The aim of this research, which is being carried out by Liliana Hidalgo Padilla as part of her PhD, is to examine the differences between remote and in-person mental health consultations, exploring how they affect patients' health outcomes and how well they can be implemented into practice.
Dr Mariana Pinto da Costa, senior lecturer at King’s College London and consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, who is supervising this research, says:
This study could benefit patients across the world, as it will provide evidence and recommendations on which care model works best for different people in different situations. There is no one-size-fits-all approach in mental health, so understanding which model is best for which patients will help tailor services to patients' needs
This study will use three main research methods:
Service users have been involved from the start, including in the design of the study. They will continue to be involved throughout the project, co-developing patient-facing materials, discussing the study findings, and sharing the main findings and recommendations.
The study began in October 2023 and is expected to finish in September 2026.
This research is supported by the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Programme (LISS-DTP), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London.
