Diagnostic Reliability of Telepsychiatry in American Indian Veterans

Objective: This study examined the reliability of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) in the administration of psychiatric assessments by real-time videoconferencing compared to face-to-face assessment within a rural American Indian community.

Method: The SCID was administered to 53 male American Indian veterans who were randomly assigned over two separate occasions by different interviewers to face-to-face and real-time interactive videoconferencing within 2 weeks. Comparisons were made with prevalences, the McNemar test, and the kappa statistic.

Results: With the exception of past-year substance dependence and abuse/dependence combined, there were no significant differences between face-to-face and videoconference administration. The majority of kappas calculated (76%) indicated a good or fair level of agreement. Externalizing disorders tended to elicit greater concordance than internalizing disorders.

Conclusions: Overall, SCID assessment by live interactive videoconferencing did not differ significantly from face-to-face assessment in this population. Videoconferencing is a viable vehicle for clinical and research purposes.