Evaluation of the Western Australian Department of Health telehealth project

In 1999, the Department of Health in Western Australia began a telehealth project, which finished in 2004. The 75 videoconferencing sites funded by the project were part of a total state-wide videoconference network of 104 sites. During the period from January 2002 to December 2003, a total of 3266 consultations, case reviews and patient education sessions took place. Clinical use grew to 30% of all telehealth activity. Educational use was approximately 40% (1416 sessions) and management use was about 30% (1031 sessions). The average overhead cost per telehealth session across all regions and usage types was $A192. Meaningful comparisons of the results of the present study with other public health providers were difficult, because many of the available Websites on telehealth were out of date. Despite the successful use of telehealth to deliver clinical services in Western Australia, sustaining the effort in the post-project phase will present significant challenges

Technology-Delivered Mental Health Interventions for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): a Review of Recent Advances

HIV/AIDS infection and psychiatric diagnoses are closely linked, with an estimated 50 % of HIV-infected individuals diagnosed with co-occurring mental health disorders. Mental health disorders have been shown to be associated with HIV acquisition as well as poor treatment outcomes for those infected with HIV. Therefore, behavioral interventions to improve HIV/AIDS health outcomes have included interventions addressing mental health co-morbidities, such as depression and anxiety, and the use of technology to facilitate such intervention is growing. The current review focuses on research published between January 2011 and April 2015, exploring technology-based interventions aimed to improve health outcomes among HIV/AIDS individuals with co-occurring mental health symptoms. Technologies identified in this review included telephone-delivered and computer-delivered interventions. Despite rapid advances in technology use in the medical professions, particularly in the area of psychiatric treatment, little has been translated into the area of mental health research in the context of HIV disease. This review reveals that the widespread dissemination of various technologies, especially technologies facilitating access to care among vulnerable and marginalized populations, may be a necessary way to offer evidence-based mental health interventions to HIV/AIDS populations in need