Development of a protocol for videoconferencing-based exposure and response prevention treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic

Table 5 Details of videoconferencing-based exposure and response prevention treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Patients	Number	Comments/details
Patients with OCD attending the home-based TMH services during the study-period	115	This was 3% of all new outpatients and represented an increase in the number of such patients compared to the period before the pandemic
Patients available for analysis	78	ERP not considered (n = 17; 15%); improved with medications and did not require ERP (n = 2); refused ERP (n = 3); VC-ERP yet to be initiated (n = 13)
Patients in whom VC-ERP was initiated/early dropouts	43	Six patients dropped out from VC-ERP treatment. (Dropout rate 14%)
Improvement after initial treatment	1	One patient improved after initial psychoeducation and regular relaxation exercises and was not required to complete the entire VC-ERP treatment
Transition to hybrid care	20	Hybrid care became easier once the outpatient services resumed in December 2021
Transition to inpatient ERP	3	VC-ERP was followed by inpatient-based ERP because of severe OCD and non-response to VC-ERP.
Patients who have undergone/are undergoing VC-ERP	33	VC-ERP has been completed in 11 patients and is ongoing in 22 patients

ERP: Exposure and response prevention; OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder; VC-ERP: Videoconferencing-based exposure and response prevention; TMH: Telemental health.