Study IDs Need for Telemental Health Resources for Patients and Providers

A Canadian study calls for more federal investment in telehealth services at the primary care level to help providers address mental healthcare needs.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Toronto and published in BMC Family Practice, finds that primary care providers transitioned quickly to virtual care to meet the needs of patients during the coronavirus pandemic. And while they’ve done well to adapt to changing needs and platforms, both they and their patients are being overwhelmed by a surge in mental health issues, ranging from stress and anxiety to suicide and substance abuse.

“It is essential that policy and decision-makers take note of the toll that these demands have placed on providers,” the study concluded. “There is an immediate need to enhance primary care’s capacity for mental health care for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.”

The research joins a growing body of evidence throughout North American and beyond that the rapid adoption of telehealth during COVID-19 has helped PCPs stay afloat, but a lot more needs to be done to continue that momentum past the pandemic. And it highlights the fact that telehealth was used more for mental and behavioral health concerns than for any other medical issue, due in no small part to the growing mental health crisis.

Research was done through interviews with focus groups comprised of 48 primary care providers from Ontario. Through interviews with these providers, the research team identified three key themes: the surge in demand for mental healthcare services, the rapid transformation from in-person care to virtual care, and the impact – both good and bad – on providers.

As nations move out of the pandemic, researchers say, policy experts and lawmakers will need to develop resources for PCPs, which have been on the front lines and are often the first point of contact for patients in need of mental healthcare services. This would include improving coverage and access for telemental health services, allowing PCPs to collaborate more easily in teams with other care providers and specialists, and expanding resources to help patients – especially those in underserved and remote communities - access telehealth and understand how to use the technology.

Beyond that, the study recognizes the strain on the care providers themselves, through an increased workload, new responsibilities brought on by their patients’ lack of access to other resources, and the need to be more innovative and flexible in providing care.

“Primary care teams in our study experienced high demands for mental health care - including heightened patient complexity and crises - without an increase of resources to meet these demands,” the study pointed out. “It was evident during the focus group discussions that patient suicides have had a profound impact on primary care teams. In addition, primary care teams’ workload increased with the rapid implementation of virtual care. Our study demonstrates that this has taken a toll on the mental health and wellbeing of primary care providers themselves.”

More federal investment in telehealth resources for these PCPs, the study notes, would also help the providers ease their workload. In addition, the report says, PCPs need help with their own health and well-being, through access to resources that improve their resilience and foster a culture of wellness.

“Attending to the wellbeing and recovery of primary care providers is essential during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report notes.