I will address the question posed in the title at the end of this commentary.The meta-analysis by Scott and colleagues1 in this issue found that video-based telehealth treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in primary care was as effective in reducing symptoms as face-to-face treatment. Moreover, the therapeutic alliance was as strong, and patient satisfaction as high, in telehealth as in-person treatment. These findings for PTSD are consistent with the results of other reviews and meta-analyses that found equivalent efficacy and patient satisfaction between telehealth and face-to-face treatment for insomnia,2 substance use disorders,3 obsessive-compulsive disorder,4 depression,5 and schizophrenia spectrum disorders6 and in samples of patients with a mixture of psychiatric diagnoses.5 Telehealth interventions as adjuncts to routine care have also been found to be effective in addressing other clinically important behaviors such as enhancing medication compliance.7 In outpatient settings, appointment attendance is greater with telehealth versus in-person visits.8–10 To be sure, telehealth interventions have not been limited to patients with psychiatric disorders and have been found to be effective in other areas of medicine.11
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