King's College London

The Covid-19 pandemic changed how mental health care is delivered in the UK and worldwide, with a rapid shift from face-to-face mental health consultations to telephone and video calls.

However, little is known about what happened beyond the Covid-19 period, to what extent these consultation methods are used today, and how they affect care and health outcomes, especially in mental health where the relationship between the patient and heath professional is crucial.

Background

Remote consultations, using the telephone and online platforms, can help more people access mental health care, particularly in areas with limited services such as some rural areas. However, mental health professionals know that the relationship between patient and provider can affect treatment outcomes, and we do not know how remote care might change this relationship.

Some studies show that remote consultations can be as effective as in-person visits for primary care and mental health. In the UK, one study showed that by April 2020, 90 per cent of primary care consultations were done remotely. While phone consultations worked for most issues, the main challenge for doctors was to decide when to see patients in person if they noticed increased clinical risks.

How are we involving patients and service users?

Service users have been involved from the start, including in the design of the study. They will continue to be involved throughout the project, co-developing patient-facing materials, discussing the study findings, and sharing the main findings and recommendations.

The study began in October 2023 and is expected to finish in September 2026.

Funding and support

This research is supported by the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Programme (LISS DTP), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration (NIHR ARC) South London.