HB1993

Report Title:

UH Telepsychiatry Pilot Project

Description:

Establishes temporary 1-year UH telepsychiatry pilot project serving Hilo, Kahului, Molokai, and Kauai. Requires evaluation report to legislature. Appropriates $250,000 to UH for FY 2006-2007.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1993
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO TELEPSYCHIATRY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that lack of access to specialty medical care is a major problem in part of the island of Oahu and on all the neighbor islands. Telehealth has steadily played a larger role in health care in recent years. Treatment of depression via telepsychiatry compares well with in-person treatment in terms of outcomes, patient adherence, patient satisfaction, and costs. Psychiatric assessments via telepsychiatry are reliable and, in fact, based on feedback of child telepsychiatry services provided in Molokai by Dr. Daniel Alicata, patients actually preferred the interactions over the video-link versus on-site visits. Patients also have difficulty in accessing psychiatric services for other reasons such as:

(1) The refusal of private psychiatrists to accept medicaid or QUEST patients;

(2) The lack of adequate insurance (not qualifying for or temporarily losing insurance or having medicare insurance only);

(3) The lack of psychiatrists in the service area (Molokai);

(4) The inadequate number of psychiatrists in the service area (Kauai, Big Island); and

(5) Patient ineligibility for adult mental health services, including the vast majority of patients with psychiatric or substance abuse problems.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a one-year pilot telepsychiatry project to demonstrate the efficacy of telepsychiatry. The project shall involve faculty from the University of Hawaii's department of psychiatry supervising advanced graduate psychiatric residents in telepsychiatry services that will serve residents, especially the uninsured and the poor, on the neighbor islands.

SECTION 2. (a) There is established within the University of Hawaii a temporary one-year pilot telepsychiatry project that shall be sited at the following locations:

(1) Bay Clinic of Hilo;

(2) West Hawaii community health center;

(3) Community clinic of Maui;

(4) Molokai General Hospital; and

(5) Ho‘ola Lahui Health Center, Kauai.

(b) Telepsychiatry services shall be provided by advanced graduate psychiatry residents supervised by faculty of the department of psychiatry of the University of Hawaii. On-site visits shall also be provided interspersed among off-site telepsychiatry encounters. Telepsychiatry encounters shall be transmitted between the receiving site in subsection (a) and the department of psychiatry of the University of Hawaii using video teleconferencing equipment and ISDN lines.

(d) The University of Hawaii shall submit a written report evaluating the success or failure of the project using measurable criteria to the legislature no later than thirty days after the termination of the project.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for a temporary one-year pilot telepsychiatry project at the University of Hawaii pursuant to section 2 this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________