Collaborative Protocol for Telemental Health: What is the best way for rural nurses to help the elderly population reduce depression? GoalThe goal of Rural Telemental Health (RTH) is to increase access to those living in rural regions of the states by using teleconferencing, video conferencing, email, group video conferencing, and the telephone to help the geriatric patient improve depression. Telemental Health and/or Telemedicine will also improve communication and collaboration with a team of healthcare professionals, such as rural clinic nurses and primary care physicians, while offering the rural geriatric population access to a much-needed healthcare service. Context and Description of the Problem The United States Department of Telemental Health The Health and Human Services report (2013) revealed that the World Health Organization describes injustices and disparities within a community as social determinants. These social determinants include age, sex, where you are born, where you live, work, play, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and whether you have a healthcare system . McKibbin and Deacon (2011) revealed that an estimated 20% of older adults suffer from a mental health disorder. Patients with chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, geriatric depression, chronic pain problems, cancer, and diabetes account for trillions of dollars spent on medical care in the United States. As the population ages, costs will increase, the shortage of doctors and nurses will continue to decline, and the scope of this problem will increase, thus the need for new ideas and innovative plans to care for the geriatric population, including those in rural regions. A potential solution for geriatric depression... middle of article... oto, SS, Wexler, BE, & Alexopoulos, GS (2012). Neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive remediation for geriatric depression. Geriatric Psychiatry, 27, 1239-1247. doi:10.1002/gps.3776Nieves, J. E., Briscoe, G. M., Edwards, L. M., & Flores-Carrea, A. (2011). A review of the literature on videophone use in mental health. Psychiatric Times, 28(5), 24-33. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/876042924?accountid=10559Norbert, B., Bennett, L., Carnahan, L., Decker, V.B., Grady, B., & Holden, D. (2011) . Evidence-based practice for telemental health. Telemedicine and e-health, 17(2), 131. doi:10.1089/tmj.2010.0158Ramos-Rios, R., Mateos, R., Lojo, D., Conn, D., & Patterson, T. (2012) . Telepsychogeriatrics: a new horizon in the treatment of mental health problems in the elderly. (11, Ed.) International Psychogeriatrics, 24. doi:10.1017/S1041610212000981