Table 2. Pros and cons of telepsychiatry .

Telepsychiatry Implementation and Potential Barriers and Benefits [14-16]
Barriers	Benefits
Adapting to novel practice model and technology	Accessibility to specialized mental health care in underserved and remote areas
Interruption of the in-person patient-doctor interaction	Expand outreach, delivery, and efficiency of mental health practice
Liabilities and malpractice coverage concerns	Reduction in transportation time and expenses
Technology costs and security	Low attrition rate of patients
Billing and reimbursement constraints	Relieve physician burnout and increase well-being
Out-of-state physician licensing and credentialing issues	Improved patient satisfaction
Obtaining vital signs and necessary physical examinations, although the physical examination is less of a barrier in telepsychiatry compared to traditional telemedicine except for the evaluation of movement disorder or extrapyramidal side effects (EPS)	Improve clinical workflow and increase practice efficiency
Concerns about patient confidentiality and security	Reduce practice overhead
Need for psychiatrists as well as patients to have a basic level of technological literacy; both parties will need to adapt to the technology	Reduce patient costs
Patients with moderate to severe mental health illness might be reluctant to discuss their problems over teleconsultation services which can be a huge barrier.	Reduce emergency room visits
	Early detection allowing for preventative measures
	Flexibility of scheduling
	During COVID-19:
	Minimize risk of exposure to healthcare workers, as well as patients receiving care
	Immunocompromised patients will still be able to receive psychiatric care
	Self-isolating psychiatrists can still provide care; prevents increasing strain on remaining co-workers