Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40112291›Full record

ArticleJMIR human factors2025

Mental Health Providers' Challenges and Solutions in Prescribing Over Telemedicine: Content Analysis of Semistructured Interviews.

Julia Ivanova, Mollie R Cummins, Hiral Soni, Triton Ong, Brian E Bunnell, Esteban López, Brandon M Welch

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR human factors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Julia IvanovaDoxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Charleston, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-5852-200X
Mollie R CumminsDoxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Charleston, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-7078-8479
Hiral SoniDoxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Charleston, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-2054-3737
Triton OngDoxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Charleston, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-2512-2026
Brian E BunnellDoxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Charleston, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-4964-0688
Esteban LópezDoxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Charleston, SC, United States.ORCID 0009-0007-5581-0595
Brandon M WelchDoxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc, Charleston, SC, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-2214-9282

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States extended regulatory flexibilities to make telemedicine more accessible to providers and patients. Some of these flexibilities allowed providers to intake patients over telemedicine and prescribe certain scheduled medications without an in-person visit.

objectiveWe aim to understand providers' parameters for their comfort in prescribing over telemedicine and report on solutions providers have adopted in response to potential barriers and challenges in prescribing via telemedicine.

methodsAs part of a larger mixed methods study between February and April 2024, we conducted 16 semistructured interviews with mental health providers who prescribe via telemedicine within the United States. We used the results of a web-based, cross-sectional survey to develop a codebook and support recruitment. We analyzed a subsection of the 16 interviews using content analysis to capture comfort, barriers, and workarounds in telemedicine prescribing. We reported codes by frequency and by provider.

resultsParticipants were typically male (11/16, 69%), provided care mostly or completely over telemedicine (11/16, 69%), and were psychiatrists (8/16, 50%) or other physician (3/16, 19%). Providers' primary states (10/16, 62%) of practice included Oregon, Texas, New York, and California. The content analysis yielded a total of 234 codes, with three main codes-comfort (98/234, 41.9%), barriers or challenges (85/234, 36.3%), and workarounds or solutions (27/234, 11.5%)-and two subcodes-uncomfortable prescribing (30/98, 31%) and comfortable prescribing (68/98, 69%) over telemedicine. Participants reported being comfortable prescribing over telemedicine as long as they could meet their main parameters of working within their expertise, having access to needed patient health information, and being compliant with rules and regulations. Participants reported frustrations with e-prescription workflows and miscommunications with pharmacies. Solutions to ease frustrations and alleviate discomforts in prescribing over telemedicine included developing workflows to help patients complete laboratory tests and physical examinations and directly communicating with pharmacies.

conclusionsBy applying content analysis to the semistructured provider interviews, we found that physicians are comfortable prescribing via telemedicine when they feel they are practicing within their personal parameters for safety. While many providers experience frustrations such as miscommunication with pharmacies, these barriers appear to not prevent them from telemedicine prescribing. With expected changes in 2024 and 2025 to the US laws and regulations for telemedicine prescribing, we may see changes in provider comfort in prescribing.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelCOVID-19Drug PrescriptionsHealth PersonnelMental Health ServicesPractice Patterns, Physicians'TelemedicineAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSARS-CoV-2attitudebarrierbuprenorphinecontent analysisdigital healthdrugexperienceinformaticsmedicationmental healthopinionperceptionperspectivepharmaceuticalpharmacologypharmacotherapyprescribeprescriptionproviderprovider perspectivequalitative analysistelehealthtelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID40112291
PMCPMC11969126

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.