North Carolina Statewide TelePsychiatry Program Overview

This document is a product brief detailing the North Carolina Statewide TelePsychiatry Program (NC-STeP), founded by Dr. Sy Saeed. It outlines the operational model and the significant outcomes achieved, including over $57 million in savings from avoided hospitalizations and a 17% reduction in transfers to psychiatric hospitals. The program has facilitated over 60,500 psychiatry assessments in emergency departments across North Carolina, improving access to care and patient satisfaction while reducing emergency department overcrowding. The brief describes key components of the STeP model, including its operational framework, technology for workflow management, clinical staffing options, and endpoint hardware solutions. Additionally, it explains the consult lifecycle, detailing the process from request submission to patient discharge. The program is designed to be replicable in other states, aiming to address the challenges of equal access to care and integration with existing electronic health records.