A Descriptive Study of Patient Quality Care via Telehealth During COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a rise in reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders, difficulty sleeping or eating, and an increase in alcohol and substance use primarily resulting from isolation and job loss. Social distancing guidelines created the perfect opportunity for mental healthcare organizations across all mental health care settings and levels of care to connect with individuals and families suffering from mental abnormalities virtually; however, widespread adoption of telehealth programs by mental health practitioners continues to fall short. This study uses a non-experimental descriptive survey design to answer descriptive questions on how participants rated their experience with telehealth as a standalone service delivery method in private practice settings. When patients experience quality care, they are more likely to return for future services and refer others. Quality experiences do correlate with positive financial performance, and this study describes how patients are rating their experience. The survey in this study contained Likert Scale questions, and the researcher used cross-tabulation and pivot tables to describe how participants responded to the survey. Results from this study are intended to provide insight into telehealth acceptance and effectiveness. This study also provides a foundation for further research to discover participant perceptions and examine participant responses as it relates to telehealth as a standalone mode of treatment in a private practice setting.