The use of telemedicine in forensic psychiatry-a quick scoping review of literature from the time of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review was to examine some of the literature regarding telemedicine use relating to forensic mental healthcare that had been published since the start of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with a view to ascertaining current thinking. A search identified 8 relevant pieces of recent literature that explored this subject. Particular themes were discovered throughout the literature relating to the following topics: pre-COVID experience, accessibility, adoption, staff attitudes, patient attitudes, effectiveness, technological factors, safety, legal and ethical issues, and patient suitability. Despite the wide implementation of videoconferencing facilities for remote consultations, there is concern regarding the lack of clinical and legal guidelines and formal training available to professionals. There is also an obvious lack of quantitative research in the recent use of remote consultations.