Telepsychiatry in South Australia

Telemedicine has evolved to become an integral part of the South Australian Rural and Remote Mental Health Service. The resulting telemedicine service is one of only a few telepsychiatry services around the world that is firmly embedded in normal clinical practice and can be regarded as sustainable. The telepsychiatry service has been operational in Adelaide since January 1994 and more than 2000 clinical consultations have been performed since that time. In contrast to other telepsychiatry systems internationally, more than 80% of the usage of the South Australian system has been for clinical purposes. The benefits and limitations of telepsychiatry are reviewed, as are factors that have affected the success of the project.