The rapid shift to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic brought both opportunities and challenges for delivering allied healthcare services, particularly for children with permanent and significant disabilities. The study titled Exploring experiences with telehealth-delivered allied healthcare services for people with permanent and significant disabilities funded through a national insurance scheme: a qualitative study examining challenges and suggestions to improve services provides valuable insights that practitioners can leverage to enhance their telehealth services.
This blog aims to summarize the key findings of the study and offer practical recommendations for practitioners to improve telehealth experiences for children with disabilities.
Challenges Identified
The study identified several challenges that children with disabilities and their caregivers faced during telehealth sessions:
- Evoked Behavioral Issues: Children often exhibited behavioral problems during telehealth sessions, making it difficult to maintain focus and engagement.
- Reliance on Caregiver Facilitation: Telehealth often required caregivers to take an active role in facilitating sessions, adding to their burden.
- Inhibited Clinician Feedback: The remote nature of telehealth limited clinicians' ability to provide immediate and effective feedback.
- Difficulty Building Rapport and Trust: Establishing a connection with children was challenging without face-to-face interaction.
- Lack of Access to Resources: Many families lacked the necessary tools and resources to fully engage in telehealth sessions.
- Children Disengaged/Distracted: Maintaining children's attention during telehealth sessions was a significant hurdle.
Suggestions for Improvement
Based on the findings, the study offers several suggestions to improve telehealth services:
- Establish Expectations: Setting clear expectations for both children and caregivers before the session can help in better preparation and engagement.
- Increase Exposure to Telehealth: Regular and consistent exposure to telehealth can help children become more accustomed to the format.
- Assess Suitability of Specific Services: Evaluating whether telehealth is appropriate for the specific needs of each child can help tailor the approach.
- Access to Support Workers: Providing access to trained support workers can alleviate the burden on caregivers and improve session effectiveness.
- Prepare for Telehealth Sessions: Ensuring that all necessary equipment and resources are set up before the session can facilitate smoother interactions.
Practical Recommendations for Practitioners
Practitioners can take the following steps to implement the study's suggestions and improve telehealth outcomes for children with disabilities:
- Pre-Session Briefing: Conduct a brief orientation session with caregivers to set expectations and explain the session's structure.
- Resource Provision: Provide families with a list of recommended resources and tools that can enhance telehealth sessions.
- Regular Follow-Ups: Schedule regular follow-up sessions to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments.
- Hybrid Approach: Consider a hybrid model that combines in-person and telehealth sessions to maximize benefits.
- Training for Support Workers: Offer training programs for support workers to effectively facilitate telehealth sessions.
By implementing these strategies, practitioners can significantly improve the telehealth experience for children with disabilities, ensuring they receive the best possible care.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Exploring experiences with telehealth-delivered allied healthcare services for people with permanent and significant disabilities funded through a national insurance scheme: a qualitative study examining challenges and suggestions to improve services.
