The Third International Symposium on Psychiatry and the Internet began today in Paris. This is the third year for this interesting meeting of distinguished mental health professionals from around the globe and the first time has been held in Paris. (previously it took place in Munich.) It is sponsored by the Fédération Française  de Psychiatrie, International Society for Psychiatry, Internet and Mental Health and the German Medical Research Net on Depression. Participants discussed a variety of leading-edge topics such as interaction of online groups and mental health, psychometric psychological teleconsultations for interviewing and assessing elderly patients, teaching pharmacology on the Internet, evaluation of a discussion forum on depression, an email help service, virtual reality based multidimensional therapy for the treatment of body image, self-treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and much more.
Day two promises topics such as use the Internet for relapse prevention, prospects and limitations of psychological testing on the Internet and online journal publishing and other discussions.
Using Technology to shorten the distance
My presentation today was on education, continuing medical education and the future of education on the Internet. Unfortunately, I was unable to be in Paris this week and arranged for technology to shorten the miles between New York and Paris.
Using web conferencing software (placeware), an Internet connection and a telephone line, I gave my presentation from New York City to the symposium audience who were sitting in the Hôpital Sainte Anne – Amphithéâtre in Paris. I controlled the slides, gave the presentation and took questions at the end.
Much to my amazement, it worked quite well. Except for the difference in time, (Paris is 6 hours ahead of New York) and not being able to visit Paris in April, it went smoothly and successfully. Perhaps this can be a model for future meetings where we can expand not only the range of presenters but the participants as well without geography getting the way. This was truly Psychiatry and the Internet.
12:17:09 PM 
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