Remote Neuroassessment and Telepsychiatry, A New Paradigm for Care Delivery
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/yqag4w60Keywords:
Telepsychiatry, Telemedicine, Remote Monitoring, Digital Biomarkers, Neuropsychiatry, Virtual Care, Mhealth, Digital Mental Health, Healthcare DeliveryAbstract
The convergence of telemedicine, digital phenotyping, and computational analytics is catalyzing a fundamental shift in neuropsychiatric care delivery. This review articulates the paradigm of Remote Neuroassessment and Telepsychiatry, a model that transcends the traditional, clinic-bound episode of care to a continuous, data-driven, and accessible process. We define remote neuroassessment as the use of digital tools-spanning videoconferencing, smartphone sensors, wearable devices, and computer-based cognitive tasks-to capture behavioral, cognitive, and physiological data in ecological settings. Telepsychiatry, the clinical application of telecommunications for psychiatric assessment and treatment, provides the essential clinical framework. Synthesizing evidence from recent literature, we demonstrate how this integrated paradigm addresses critical barriers of access, scalability, and objective measurement in mental health. We detail the technological ecosystem enabling remote assessment, including platforms for video consultations, passive and active digital biomarkers, and automated analysis pipelines. Evidence for the validity, reliability, and clinical utility of remote methods for diagnosing and monitoring conditions like depression, anxiety, psychosis, and neurocognitive disorders is critically examined. Furthermore, we present implementation models, from hybrid care pathways to fully virtual clinics, and discuss pivotal challenges including digital equity, data privacy, regulatory compliance, and the integration of digital data into clinical workflows. We argue that this paradigm is not merely a substitute for in-person care but a transformative approach that enables proactive, personalized, and population-scale mental healthcare. The article concludes by outlining a roadmap for future research, clinical integration, and policy development to realize the full potential of remote neuropsychiatry in creating a more resilient and effective mental health system.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Chiamaka Ndidi Eze (Author)
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