The COVID-19 pandemic forced consultation-liaison psychiatrists to adapt to unprecedented circumstances. The Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) recognized the need and opportunity to assess its response and convened a task force in mid-2020 to review the lessons learned from the initial experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective
The aim of the study was to summarize experience and make recommendations to the ACLP Board of Directors about potential ACLP directions related to current and future pandemic response.
Methods
In August–November 2020, the task force reviewed local experiences, ACLP list-serv contributions, and the published literature and generated recommendations for ACLP actions.
Results
Recommendations addressed telepsychiatry, hospital staff wellness, support for consultation-liaison psychiatrists, the need for additional research on psychiatric and neuropsychiatric aspects of COVID-19, and the ACLP's role in advocacy and dissemination of information. The task force report was submitted to the ACLP Board of Directors in November 2020.
Conclusions
As the preeminent organization of consultation-liaison psychiatrists, the ACLP can implement actions related to pandemic awareness and preparedness for the benefit of consultation-liaison psychiatrists, other health care workers, patients, and the general population.
Key words
COVID-19
telepsychiatry
advocacy
wellness
ACLP
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Conflicts of interests: The authors report no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article.
Funding: This work did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Disclosure: The authors disclosed no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article.
Acknowledgments: The authors thank Michael Sharpe, MD, and Maria Tiamson-Kassab, MD, for their leadership of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and their encouragement of this work.
