An evaluation of the telepsychiatry programme in Victoria, Australia

We evaluated the use of telepsychiatry in Victoria, a state of Australia with some five million people. There were 39 sites at the time of the survey, 12 metropolitan and 27 rural. Interviews and postal questionnaires were used. A total of 99 staff were surveyed, 69 by post and 30 during visits. There were 37 participants from metropolitan sites and 62 from rural sites. Rural sites conducted an estimated 137 sessions per month (i.e. an average of 5.1 per month per site). The majority (70%) of the usage in Victoria was for clinical purposes, both primary and secondary consultations.