Using Continuous Quality Improvement to Design and Implement a Telepsychiatry Program in Rural Illinois

Although telepsychiatry has emerged as an innovative tool for increasing access to behavioral health services, few studies have examined the complexities associated with designing and implementing telepsychiatry programs. This column examines a multisite, multimodal telepsychiatry program that has been providing direct care, synchronous consultation, and asynchronous consultation services in rural Illinois since 2016. The program used quality improvement metrics and implementation science strategies to improve its long-term impact and sustainability. Program impact was assessed through satisfaction surveys of patients and primary care physicians, chart reviews, wait times, and volume of patients served. Results indicate that the design and implementation of this telepsychiatry program improved access to behavioral health services and effectively supported primary care providers, with high degrees of patient and provider satisfaction.