A systematic review of national telemental health utilization during the public health emergency (PHE) and a quality analysis

Introduction The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) demonstrated the need for alternative modalities of healthcare delivery. This article examined the impact of PHE policies on telemental health (TMH) utilization based on the availability of current academic literature during the PHE. Methods Two co-raters to systematically identified articles using the following databases: PsycInfo, Academic Search Ultimate, MEDLINE Ultimate, CINAHL Ultimate, Pubmed, ProQuest eBook Central, SocINDEX, Sociology Source Ultimate, and Google Scholar. Articles were required to meet the following inclusion criteria: (a) published after 2020 (b) discussed the effect of PHE policy on TMH utilization, (c) reports statistical findings, (d) conducted within the USA. Results The combined search yielded 294 articles. After the title and abstract screening and full-text screening, 15 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Authors examined themes such as geographic scope of study, study design, telehealth modality, disparities, and provider perspective. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools for quasi-experimental and qualitative studies were used to assess the quality of the included studies. Fourteen of the 15 studies evaluated met at least 70% of the applicable quality criteria across primary appraisal domains. Discussion While telehealth expanded access for some populations, persistent gaps remain, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to address inequities. The findings from this systematic review underscore the complexity and critical need for sustained investment in TMH infrastructure, policy adaptation, and data driven interventions to address disparities in access and utilization.