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In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice
Robert Wm. Detlefsen, FPMH-NP, B.C. will defend his capstone project Nursing Entrepreneurship and Telemental Health:
A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Mental healthcare, or more accurately the lack thereof, affects large numbers of people across the world and in the United States. Telemental health (TMH), or the delivery of psychiatric services over a distance through electronic media, is being increasingly used to improve access to mental health services and facilitate quality treatment outcomes. Demand for mental health providers and service in many areas exceeds currently available resources and for advanced practice registered nurses (ARNPs), this opens a myriad of opportunities for entrepreneurial practice and innovation. This study is based on a format for developing integrative literature reviews recommended by Whittemore & Knafl (2005) and Russell (2005) involving 1) problem identification, 2) review of the literature, 3) evaluation of information, 4) interpretation of data, and 5) discussion of results. The use of blended methodologies and published data are presented as a basis for completing an economic evaluation, and developing a cost-benefit analysis of telemental health. For comparison, three alternatives were used to deliver mental health services, including traditional face-to-face office (FTF) appointments, contracting for TMH-only outpatient patient assessment, and combined 50% face-to-face and 50% TMH consultations. From an economic perspective, applications from this integrative literature review can be useful to advanced practice nurses and other healthcare professionals for planning, operating, and sustaining TMH services in private practice. |
