Under the direction of the leadership at our medical center, beginning March 16, 2020, all non-urgent in-person ambulatory visits were to be limited, either rescheduled or performed virtually, as the hospital braced for the surge of COVID-19 patients. The outpatient psychiatry department quickly transitioned to a telehealth model. This paper details our actions taken to implement this plan, reflections on our experience one year later, and areas for future study. On the one-year anniversary of our department implementing remote care practices around COVID-19, we reflect on lessons learned in the transition and maintenance phases of the last 12 months. Reflecting on next steps as a face-to-face care becomes more possible, we share three core factors in our decision making and research opportunities to better quantify the impact of telehealth in 2021 and beyond.
Evolution of Telehealth in Ambulatory Psychiatry: A One Year Perspective