Use of Telepsychiatry to Increase Resident Exposure to Forensic Psychiatry During COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace at which telemedicine is being utilized in nontraditional medical settings, including forensic psychiatry. While access to quality psychiatric care has been a long-standing and pre-COVID concern for the forensic population, high rates of coronavirus in correctional facilities have made for even more challenging circumstances [1]. Likewise, forensic fellowship programs are repositioning themselves to ensure adherence to credentialing requirements and the provision of care for forensic populations despite suboptimal conditions. Although it is becoming increasingly accepted that telepsychiatry can be used to improve access to mental health care in correctional facilities, it remains a tool not routinely incorporated into curricula of general psychiatry or fellowship programs [2]. It is imperative for trainees in forensic fellowship programs to have longitudinal experience in managing patients in correctional systems, according to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) [3]. Accredited general psychiatry residencies are also required to include 1 month of forensics exposure, although its constituency is highly variable among programs [3, 4]. This variability could potentially lead to limited clinical exposure, lack of interest in treating this vulnerable population, and clinician shortages in an area where mental health needs are extensive and inadequately addressed