Telemedicine and Digital Mental Health Technologies

The enlarging need for clinicians with specialized geriatric expertise in the USA (Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2012; Wiechers et al. 2019) can hopefully be met through telemedicine and digital technologies, supplemented by remote video consultation to home-based and long-term care settings (Gentry MT et al., Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 27:109–27, 2019). This chapter reviews technologies which may facilitate prompt screening and assessment of older individuals by minimizing the time for a provider to receive clinical information (Fortuna 2019). Frequent subspecialty consultation and remote digital monitoring can foster earlier recognition of emerging psychiatric issues and reduce complications that result from delay of care. Timely review of medication regimens along with de-prescribing can avoid unnecessary or excessive treatment, the essence of an age-adjusted approach. Figure 16.1 summarizes the use of assistive technology in geriatric care, including the role of wearable devices, home monitoring systems, pandemic proof, and remote care and the considerations for telemedicine.