Implementation of telepsychiatry in an urban pediatric satellite emergency department

Abstract

While pediatric mental health emergencies are increasing in frequency and severity, psychiatric resources remain concentrated in tertiary care facilities. Telepsychiatry has successfully mitigated these challenges in rural emergency departments (EDs), suggesting potential benefits for urban EDs that lack psychiatric resources. We implemented telepsychiatry in an urban ED to reduce ED length of stay and the need for transferring pediatric patients with mental and behavioral health complaints. We conducted a retrospective review of patients aged 0–17 presenting from July 1, 2018 to May 31, 2020 (PRE-intervention) and from June 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023 (POST-intervention) for psychiatric evaluation, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, behavioral issues, intentional ingestion, or altered mental status. Our outcomes of interest were ED length of stay, proportion transferred, and proportion with a repeat visit within 30 days for a mental health complaint. There were 199 patients; 74 PRE and 125 POST. Post-intervention, 91% (114 patients) were evaluated completely via telepsychiatry; thus only 11 (9%) required transfer. The median age was 14 years (range 8–17). The most common complaints were suicidal ideation, intentional ingestion, and behavioral problems. Seventy-four percent of patients (n = 84) evaluated by telepsychiatry were discharged from the satellite ED. The median length of stay decreased significantly from 473 min (95% CI: 431–733) to 275 min (95% CI: 316–462) after implementation. Repeat visits for mental health complaints within 30 days decreased from 23% to 10%. Implementing a telepsychiatry evaluation program in an urban pediatric satellite ED reduced transfers and decreased patient length of stay.