Brief Report: Telehealth Satisfaction Among Caregivers of Pediatric and Adult Psychology and Psychiatry Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disability in the Wake of Covid-19

Abstract

Telehealth has been shown to be both acceptable and effective in many areas of healthcare, yet it was not widely adopted prior to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Additionally, previous evaluations of telehealth for autism spectrum condition (ASC) and intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) populations are limited in both number and scope. Here, we investigated satisfaction amongst Psychology and Psychiatry patient caregivers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results (640 responses) showed high rates of satisfaction across departments, appointment types, and diagnoses, with 92% indicating overall satisfaction with their appointment. There were, however, notable decreases in satisfaction among Group Therapy respondents, and those whose diagnosis was classified as Other.

The use of telehealth in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a survey of parents and caregivers

“…Children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions and their families often face barriers to accessing treatment [5], similar to other enduring health conditions. Structural barriers include financial costs, taking time off work, lack of treatment availability, and travelling long distances to specialised clinics [5,6].…”

“…Children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions and their families often face barriers to accessing treatment [5], similar to other enduring health conditions. Structural barriers include financial costs, taking time off work, lack of treatment availability, and travelling long distances to specialised clinics [5,6]. Furthermore, psychological barriers that impede engagement with paediatric ADHD services include caregiver distress and strain [7], stigma of ADHD and treatment [8], and low caregiver self efficacy to access and implement treatment [9].…”

“…Furthermore, psychological barriers that impede engagement with paediatric ADHD services include caregiver distress and strain [7], stigma of ADHD and treatment [8], and low caregiver self efficacy to access and implement treatment [9]. For children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions, travelling to appointments and attending new medical environments can exacerbate behaviours and be a source of psychological stress [5,10,11]. Telehealth has the opportunity to address structural and psychological barriers to treatment by increasing access, but also reducing caregiver stress, increasing engagement with services, and improving quality of life [5,6].…”

“…For children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions, travelling to appointments and attending new medical environments can exacerbate behaviours and be a source of psychological stress [5,10,11]. Telehealth has the opportunity to address structural and psychological barriers to treatment by increasing access, but also reducing caregiver stress, increasing engagement with services, and improving quality of life [5,6]. Prior to the pandemic, telehealth had not been used extensively for the provision of care for children or adults with ADHD.…”

“…A study exploring the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on children with ADHD in Australia found that parents rated telehealth as being the same (42%) or poorer (48%) quality compared to in-person appointments [16]. Finally, challenges of telehealth for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions have been reported by caregivers, including concerns about the need for parental involvement in telehealth [17], concerns that providers could be missing behavioural cues [18], and issues with technical difficulties [5].…”