Lindsay Had 14 Virtual Psychiatry Visits, Raising Questions About Telehealth As The Mom Faces Trial

Lindsay Clancy had 14 virtual visits with her psychiatrist. This was before she killed her 3 kids, and now questions about telehealth have been raised.

Lindsay Clancy had 14 appointments with her psychiatrist, Jennifer Tufts, in the months before she killed her three small kids. All the sessions had taken place virtually on Zoom between September 2022 and January 2023. In the Clancy trial, Jennifer testified that she did not meet her offline but met virtually 14 times.

Clancy began seeing psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts in September 2022. Their appointments continued through January 2023, including a final telehealth session on January 23, 2023, just one day before Clancy killed her children at the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Tufts testified that she did not meet Clancy face-to-face until the murder trial.

Lindsay Clancy's psychiatrist had admitted to not meeting her offline

Every session that Clancy had with her psychiatrist was done virtually. A recent report by CT Insider.com stated that Tufts saw Clancy for the last time on January 23, 2023. It was the day before she killed her kids.

The defense attorney questioned Tufts in court about the virtual appointments with Clancy, and she was compared to a "robot" who made Lindsay fill out online forms and do virtual visits. Questions regarding Dr. Jennifer Tufts's handwritten notes from a session with Clancy were also raised.

For the unversed, according to Yale University instructor and psychiatrist Katrina Furey, telehealth appointments have become pretty common. This expanded greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many mental health practitioners continued to operate the same way, partially or fully, after the pandemic. Katrina, according to the publication, giving her expert opinion, stated:

"Telehealth has genuinely expanded access to psychiatric care in ways that matter enormously in the postpartum period specifically. For many patients, telehealth is the difference between being able to see a specialist at all versus driving several hours or going without."

Reports suggest that Lindsay may have benefited from telehealth, as she may not have been able to leave the house with her children. Virtual visits can also offer clinicians something in-person visits don’t: the ability to observe a patient in their actual home environment. It is not clear as to whether Clancy's mental health improved after taking the psychiatric treatment virtually.

Lindsay Clancy's psychiatrist reveals why 14 sessions were taken virtually

During the trial, Reddington asked Tufts whether she had ever considered telling Clancy to see her in person rather than virtually. Tufts shared that talking to Lindsay via video call did not seem like an issue, and it did not appear that anything was completely wrong. Tufts had shared earlier:

"Discussing talking with her over the video did not seem like an issue. It didn't seem like there was anything that I was missing or that there was any need to see her in person."

Clancy was seen to be dressed appropriately, communicated appropriately, and showed no deficits during the virtual appointment. Tufts shared that there were no signs of psychosis and an offline meeting was not needed. However, the experts told the publication earlier that:

"There’s a genuine trade-off, not a simple 'in-person is always better' story. Research generally shows telehealth outcomes are comparable to in-person care across most conditions, and it clearly increases access."

Medical experts have also noted that while telehealth can be beneficial, many physical and environmental cues can be missed through digital methods. For example, nonverbal signals such as affect, psychomotor activity, hygiene, grooming, and engagement with the provider are part of a full psychiatric exam. They can be harder to assess fully over video.

It has been reported that Lindsay has been suffering from Postpartum psychosis. In particular, it is a psychiatric emergency. Reportedly, some symptoms can be identified via telehealth; the associated acuity and safety risks generally warrant urgent in-person evaluation rather than relying on virtual care alone.

What are your views about Lindsay Clancy's 14 virtual visits with her psychiatrist?

Also Read: Can Lindsay Clancy Face A New Trial? Former Federal Prosecutor Says, 'Judge Will Have No Choice..'