Telehealth availability for mental health services has declined post-pandemic, impacting services offered at outpatient facilities in the U.S.
- Telehealth availability for mental health services has decreased since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- A study conducted by researchers from RAND Corporation found that the percentage of facilities offering telehealth decreased from 81.6% to 79.0%.
- The study revealed a decrease in facilities offering audio-only telehealth, telehealth for comorbid alcohol use disorder, and an increase in facilities offering telehealth only for medication management.
- 72.0% of facilities were able to sustain telehealth services, while 9.9% discontinued, 11.2% did not adopt, and 7.0% adopted telehealth services late.
- The authors suggest that targeted policies may be needed to sustain telehealth access for mental health services beyond the pandemic.
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Psychiatry & Mental Health, Public Health & Prevention, Telehealth