Impact of State Medical Licensure Exemptions and Telehealth Registries on College Students' Access to Psychiatric Care.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the impact of state medical licensure exemptions and telehealth registries on college students' access to psychiatric care.

METHODS

The authors attempted to contact 901 psychiatrists who advertised online on Psychology Today by using a simulated patient, described as a student attending college in a state with a medical licensure exemption or telehealth registry.

RESULTS

Contact was established with 282 (31%) psychiatrists across 10 states. Of the 143 contacted psychiatrists who were accepting new patients, seven (5%) were aware of state medical licensure exemptions, 43 (30%) were willing to establish care with students attending college in another state regardless of state laws, 42 (29%) were willing to learn about licensure exemptions, and 51 (36%) were unwilling to care for students in another state even when permitted by law.

CONCLUSIONS

Given psychiatrists' lack of awareness of licensure exemptions and telehealth registries, interstate access to and continuity of care may be limited.