Digital devices in psychiatry

Prof. John Tiller^1
1Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Melbourne, Australia
JournalMTM 2:1:30-33, 2013
DOI:10.7309/jmtm.2.1.6

Introduction

The stereotype of the psychiatrist with a notepad sitting behind a patient on a couch is now quaint and largely historical with little relevance to contemporaneous practice (1). The digital revolution has brought about major changes in psychiatry. Psychiatric information used to sit in books and journals in physical libraries and is now largely available in electronic libraries or on the web. References with this article reflect that trend, which give rise to the concept of mobile technology enhancing the practice of the psychiatrist. Consent for the use of such devices and methodologies is implied.

The change began with use of word processors and then computers in the writing of reports and general correspondence. This progressed with the use of voice dictation in writing doctor’s letters and reports. With a new generation of doctors being skilled at touch typing, some even record their patient notes as interviews proceed. The availability of assessment templates has meant that doctors following such templates may be more likely to complete an adequate assessment covering the relevant clinical areas than completing assessments with a blank piece of paper and no structure. Adaptive templates can allow brief notes in one area or an extensive elaboration in another, depending on the clinical presentation. Though this process began with mainframe and then desktop computers, it has now migrated to notebooks, ultrabooks, and tablets.