Mdedge Psychcast

Psychcast host Lorenzo Norris, MD, talks with Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, MD, about the changes to clinical practice forced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the likelihood that many of these changes are here to stay. Dr. Yellowlees is a professor of psychiatry and chief wellness officer at the University of California, Davis. He has no disclosures. Dr. Norris is director of consult liaison psychiatry at George Washington University, Washington. He has no disclosures. Take-home points Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 1%-2% of psychiatric consultations occurred on telepsychiatry modalities. During the pandemic, however, telepsychiatry has become the norm for psychiatric patient encounters. With the pandemic, the federal government relaxed many regulations that limited the use of telehealth. For many, telepsychiatry is now a preferred modality, because it confers high patient satisfaction, and many view it as more egalitarian, convenient, and less intimidating. Some even consider it more private, because the patient do