According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 25% of Americans are afflicted with a mental disorder and 1 in 17 suffers from a serious mental illness.
As growing numbers of patients present in emergency departments with mental health needs, U.S. hospitals are pressed to find qualified psychiatrists to offer exceptional 24/7/365 on-call mental health care.
The ramifications to patient care and hospital operations can be severe:
- Strained emergency department physicians – Most are not well-equipped to care for psychiatric needs or fully familiar with all the specifics of state psychiatric systems.
- Poor patient outcomes – Lack of immediate psychiatric expertise can result in delayed medical treatment, misdiagnosis and prolonged emergency department stays.
- Safety concerns – Some patients raise a full spectrum of safety issues for themselves, for other patients and for hospital staff.
Specialists On Call Alleviates the Burden
As the leading provider of emergency telemedicine consultations in the country, we offer experienced psychiatric support for emergency physicians and their patients. Through our telepsychiatry service, your hospital improves the quality of mental health care and you gain strategic advantages in your local community.
At Specialists On Call, our telepsychiatry service delivers:
- 24/7/365 access to board certified, fellowship trained emergency psychiatrists
- 60-minute response time
- Consistent, evidence-based, protocol-driven care
- Joint Commission-accredited service
- Complete adherence to state mental health regulations
- 97% patient satisfaction
Our psychiatrists partner with your organization to bring vital mental health expertise to the emergency bedside, through secure HIPAA and HITECH compliant technology. They deliver cost-effective, 24/7/365 telepsychiatric consultations—during the critical moments after patient presentation in the emergency department.
Helping You Maximize Resources
Mental health care need not pose a challenge to hospital resources. Our telepsychiatry service can help:
- Reduce workflow interruption
- Decrease boarding and increase free beds
- Lessen overcrowding
- Diminish ambulance diversion
- Reduce security costs
