Patients in rural areas, with access difficulties, or preference for the telehealth (also known as telepsychiatry) medium can access services easily through integrated online systems. Exponentially more patients may be served through this medium, and this may be particularly relevant in rural states. Clinicians may be reached for consultation via basic online interfaces or may be involved in more complex applications such as interactive telehealth robot technology based in hospital systems in order to reach designated populations. Evidence shows telehealth visits to be as effective as in-person visits, and insurance (including some Medicaid and Medicare coverage) covers such services in the majority of states.
More information can be found here.
APA has an evolving toolkit on telepsychiatry, which can be found here.