Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
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Australas Psychiatry · Aug 2021
Greatly increased Victorian outpatient private psychiatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic: new MBS-telehealth-item and face-to-face psychiatrist office-based services from April-September 2020.
The Australian Federal government introduced new COVID-19-Psychiatrist-Medicare-Benefits-Schedule (MBS) telehealth-items to assist with providing private specialist care. We investigate private psychiatrists' uptake of telehealth, and face-to-face consultations for April-September 2020 for the state of Victoria, which experienced two consecutive waves of COVID-19. We compare these to the same 6 months in 2019. ⋯ During the pandemic, Victorian private psychiatrists used COVID-19-MBS-telehealth-items to substantially increase the number of total patient care consultations for 2020 compared to 2019.
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Australas Psychiatry · Aug 2021
Impact of Covid-19 on the mental health needs of asylum seekers in Australia.
This paper highlights the significant mental health vulnerabilities of people who have sought asylum in Australia and their additional adversities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. ⋯ Australia's policies in relation to asylum seekers result in multiple human rights violations and add significantly to mental health vulnerabilities. Despite a majority being identified as refugees, people spend years in personal and administrative limbo and are denied resettlement in Australia. Social isolation and other restrictions associated with Covid-19 and recent reductions in welfare and housing support compound their difficulties. The clinical challenges in working with people impacted by these circumstances and the role of psychiatrists and the RANZCP in advocacy are identified.
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Australas Psychiatry · May 2021
Conduct and evaluation of final-year medical student summative assessments in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine during COVID-19: an Australian University Medical School experience.
To describe and share with the medical education community, the conduct and evaluation of summative graduate medical student assessments in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine during COVID-19 at an Australian university. ⋯ Our graduate fourth-year medical student summative assessments were effectively conducted using online and video-conferencing software in accordance with existing COVID-19 pandemic public health measures for physical distancing and hygiene.
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Australas Psychiatry · May 2021
Expert consensus on the operation of an adult tertiary intellectual disability mental health service in New South Wales, Australia.
To identify and reach consensus on the priorities and operation of an adult tertiary intellectual disability mental health service in New South Wales, Australia. ⋯ This study describes experts' views on how an adult tertiary intellectual disability mental health service should operate in New South Wales. Further consultation is needed to determine the views of people with an intellectual disability and mental health staff.
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Australas Psychiatry · Apr 2021
Australian private practice metropolitan telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of Quarter-2, 2020 usage of new MBS-telehealth item psychiatrist services.
The Australian Commonwealth Government introduced new psychiatrist Medicare-Benefits-Schedule (MBS)-telehealth items in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to assist with previously office-based psychiatric practice. We investigate private psychiatrists' uptake of (1) video- and telephone-telehealth consultations for Quarter-2 (April-June) of 2020 and (2) total telehealth and face-to-face consultations in Quarter-2, 2020 in comparison to Quarter-2, 2019 for Australia. ⋯ There has been a flexible, rapid response to patient demand by private psychiatrists using the new COVID-19-MBS-telehealth items for Quarter-2, 2020, and in the context of decreased face-to-face consultations, ongoing telehealth is essential.