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. 2021 Jan;30(1):37-41.
doi: 10.1017/S0963180120000523. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Telepsychiatry in the Age of COVID: Some Ethical Considerations

H Paul Chin, Guillermo Palchik

Telepsychiatry in the Age of COVID: Some Ethical Considerations

H Paul Chin et al. Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid escalation in the use of telepsychiatry. Herein we revisit some of the ethical issues regarding its use, including patient benefice, distributive justice, privacy, and autonomy. Based on these considerations we would hold that telepsychiatry is a vital aspect of providing psychiatric care, and ethically should be offered as a format for treatment, likely beyond the pandemic period. Investigative and advocacy efforts will need to continue to determine its exact role within psychiatric care, and expand its availability for those most in need.

Keywords: COVID-19; medical ethics; telepsychiatry.

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