Telepsychiatry has long held the promise of reaching communities in Australia which have historically struggled to access psychiatric care often due to the tyrannies of distance. 

Here Melbourne psychiatrist Dr Helen Schultz talks about its benefits and its potential limitations, but says it is also helping doctors with mental health issues secure the care they need.

As a psychiatrist who offers after-hours psychiatric services to doctors and medical students, I have begun to explore how telepsychiatry can improve my ability to reach doctors who do not live or work near me. 

Telepsychiatry was introduced to provide care that was scarce or non-existent in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia.