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Videoconferencing in Mental Health Care: Professional Dilemmas in a Changing Health Care Practice

Authors:
Ruud Janssen
Hilco Prins
Annemarie van Hout
Jan Nauta
Marike Hettinga
Lian van der Krieke
Sjoerd Sytema

Keywords: e-mental health; challenges; ethnography

Abstract:
This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study into challenges and dilemmas faced by mental health care professionals when implementing and applying videoconferencing with their clients. Focus was on two different forms of outreaching mental health care: intensive psychiatric family therapy (IPFT) and flexible assertive community treatment (FACT). During four focus group sessions with 19 mental health care professionals, issues, challenges and dilemmas were identified and discussed. Among the issues uncovered are: feelings of missing intangible, nonverbal but nevertheless important cues in the conversation with a client; an increased psychological ‘distance’ towards the client, making the communication more to-the-point but also superficial; and (for IPFT) difficulties in overseeing and interpreting interactions between family members. The mental health care professionals interviewed realize that, due to ongoing health care budget cuts, they will need to rely more frequently on videoconferencing with clients. This raises the following professional challenges and dilemmas: (1) how to integrate videoconferencing into treatment programs and individual treatment plans while maintaining quality of care; (2) what to take into account when applying videoconferencing in specific situations, such that it is safe and responsible; and (3) how to make their colleagues aware of the potential benefits of using videoconferencing with clients. Based on these findings, an in-depth ethnographic study is currently being prepared.

Pages: 1 to 5

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2015

Publication date: February 22, 2015

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4359

ISBN: 978-1-61208-384-1

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Dates: from February 22, 2015 to February 27, 2015