Application of an assessment framework to an evolving telemental health program
Hailey D, Bulger T, Stayberg S, Urness D
Record ID 32002000375
English
Authors' objectives:
To assess how the provisions of an AHFMR assessment guideline into telehealth applications can be used in the development of a telemental health programme (TMH) such as that established by the Alberta Mental Health Board (AMHB).
Authors' recommendations:
- Evaluation requirements for the Telemental Health Service (TMH) operated by the Alberta Mental Health Board changed as this program evolved from a pilot project to a mature telehealth network.
- A guideline for assessment of telehealth applications, developed by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, has been used by the AMHB in its evaluation of the TMH.
- From a health technology assessment perspective, most attributes referred to in the guideline have been well covered in evaluations of telemental health undertaken by the AMHB. However, there were limitations in regard to assessment of outcomes and cost effectiveness.
- From the perspective of the AMHB, the assessment guideline has been helpful, though more so in the earlier stages of the TMH than for appraisal of a mature network.
- It has not proved possible for the AMHB to obtain all the measures of performance suggested by the guideline, which does not fully reflect local operational conditions.
- A variety of assessment activities related to the TMH continue to be undertaken by the AMHB. These have been helpful in local decision making.
- Constraints on assessment of the mature Telemental Health Service are the complexity of the current network, limited resources for evaluation and routine administrative requirements of decision-makers.
Details
Project Status:
Completed
Year Published:
2002
URL for published report:
https://www.ihe.ca/advanced-search?type=1020
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Canada
MeSH Terms
- Mental Health Services
- Remote Consultation
- Telemedicine
Contact
Organisation Name:
Institute of Health Economics
Contact Address:
1200, 10405 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5J 3N4. Tel: +1 780 448 4881; Fax: +1 780 448 0018;
Contact Name:
djuzwishin@ihe.ca
Contact Email:
djuzwishin@ihe.ca
Copyright:
<p>Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR)</p>
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.