Submission ID 132020
| Issue/Objective | Residents of rural Cape Breton face disproportionate barriers to mental health care, including geographical isolation and a shortage of local mental health specialists. Historically, rural areas have demonstrated the largest increases in suicide rates and a 50% increase in emergency department (ED) visits for mental health crises (Fairchild et al., 2020a). Telepsychiatry offers an essential opportunity to bridge these gaps and improve health equity within the Nova Scotia Health Authority. This study examines the effectiveness of telepsychiatry in improving access to mental health care in rural settings and assesses its potential for implementation in Cape Breton's underserved communities. |
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| Methodology/Approach | A review of current literature was conducted using databases including CINAHL, Sage Journals, and PubMed. Studies included randomized effectiveness trials, economic break-even analyses, and observational cohort studies. Outcomes examined included ED wait times, patient/clinician satisfaction, and service utilization rates (Fairchild et al., 2019; Hall et al., 2022). |
| Results | Evidence suggests that telepsychiatry in rural EDs can significantly reduce mean wait times for behavioral health patients from 27 minutes to 12 minutes (Fairchild et al., 2019). Telepsychiatry programs are also economically viable, with the potential to reach a financial break-even point within three years (Haynes et al., 2024). While both collaborative and referral-based models show high patient acceptability (Hall et al., 2022), a significant limitation identified is a persistent rural-urban utilization gap. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rural populations demonstrated significantly less growth in telehealth utilization compared to urban counterparts (Gadag et al., 2025; Vakkalanka et al., 2024). |
| Discussion/Conclusion | These disparities mirror patterns documented globally, where rural and low-resource communities consistently face structural barriers to telehealth adoption despite demonstrated clinical benefit. Telepsychiatry is a clinically and economically viable tool for rural Cape Breton. However, to avoid the utilization disparities seen in other rural jurisdictions, local implementation must address the "digital divide," including broadband instability and digital literacy, to ensure equitable access for all residents. This aligns directly with the conference's call to reclaim global health equity through practical, evidence-informed action that centres marginalized communities. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Oluwakemi Fasanmi Cape Breton University Oluwakemi Fasanmi Cape Breton University Abidemi Fasanmi Cape Breton University |
