ATA Telemental Health Special Interest Group Meeting Report
June 4, 2001

The ATA Special Interest Group on Telemental Health met during the ATA Annual Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. During the meeting the SIG focused on how the group would collaborate between this meeting and the next. The following are the projects that were developed and the volunteers who came forward to lead them.

1. Pre-meeting Tutorial
   LCDR Brian Grady
   LTC Steve Cozza
   Kari Ekwurzel
   Frank Amato
   
   
2. Information Exchange
   This will be accomplished both via a mailing list to SIG members and via the ATA web site to other ATA members and the public.
   a. Links to other web pages covering topics like: standards of care, funding sources, legislation, particular patient subgroups, patient selection, forms for data collection, patient education, etc., what works and what doesn't, CPT codes, and marketing tools
   Beth Stamm
   b. Reports from other SIGs
   JCAHO (credentials): Amy Barkin
   
   
3. Data Standardization and Electronic Medical Records
   Greg Gahm
   Pamela Swales
   
   
4. International Telemental Health
   Eugene Augusterfer
   Ann Oberkirch
   
   
5. Guidelines for Online Mental Health Services
   http://www.dr-bob.org/psi/suggestions.current.html
   Bob Hsiung

Also, Amy Barkin drafted a mission statement for the group:

** Telemental Health Special Interest Group Mission Statement**

Goal:
To enhance and support the use of technology in the delivery of mental health services.

Mission:
To promote dialogue between mental health practitioners, to improve the understanding and use of telehealth applications in the delivery of mental health services, and to provide guidance to the ATA Board of Directors regarding telemental health issues.

Current Objectives:

1. Facilitate online communication between telemental health providers.
2. Disseminate awareness of ways in which technology can be applied in the delivery of mental health services.
3. Share information regarding standardized data sets and electronic medical records.
4. Conduct an annual pre-meeting tutorial on current issues affecting the delivery of telemental health services.
5. Develop and maintain a repository for mental health information on clinical, technical, and policy issues.
6. Identify telemental health applications used in other countries.
7. Promote the continued evolution of guidelines for online mental health services.

Finally, a mailing list for the Mental Health SIG has been established on the SIG Chair's own server with its own web page. This is located at: http://www.dr-bob.org/mailman/listinfo/telemental-health

ATA Special Interest Groups (SIG's)

• Business and Finance • Emergency Preparedness and Response • Home Telehealth • Human Factors •
• International • Telemental Health • Ocular Telehealth • Technology • Teledermatology •
• Telenursing • Telepathology • Telerehabilitation •

If you are interested in participating in the Telemental Health Special Interest Group simply contact the chair of the SIG or email ATA at membership@americantelemed.org or call ATA at 202.223.3333.