Caregiver Support Role in Occupational Therapy Video Telehealth

Abstract

Caregiver involvement may facilitate patient participation in occupational therapy (OT) video telehealth. However, little is known about the extent to which caregivers participate and what they do. This scoping review aims to: (1) describe the caregiver role supporting patient participation in OT video telehealth and (2) identify barriers and facilitators to caregiver involvement. Findings reveal caregiver involvement in a range of OT evaluation and intervention processes, with details on what caregivers did overall lacking. Barriers and facilitators are also described. This study underscores the need for clear and robust descriptions of caregiver participation to increase best practices in video telehealth.

Caregivers’ Role in In-Home Video Telehealth: National Survey of Occupational Therapy Practitioners

“…Specifically, the interview results that informed survey items were those about (1) patients for whom caregivers tended to be involved in video appointments, which informed the survey item about patient factors contributing to caregiver involvement; (2) what caregivers did during video telehealth visits, which informed survey items about the technological and clinical tasks with which caregivers assisted; and (3) how caregiver involvement enhanced the video sessions, which informed the survey item about the perceived benefits of caregiver participation. Second, we conducted a scoping review concerning caregivers' support role in OT video telehealth [27]. The scoping review results that informed survey items related to caregiver roles and the types of tasks caregivers assist with during video telehealth visits.…”

“…The lowest reported clinical tasks caregivers assisted with related to hands-on aspects of evaluation and intervention, reflecting a gap in the literature about caregivers' role in OT video sessions and in dynamic assessment more broadly. Our recent scoping review of caregivers' support role in OT video sessions indicated that although caregivers are often mentioned as being involved in evaluation and intervention, information about the level of caregiver involvement (ie, whether they physically assisted patients or the types of assistance they provided) was generally lacking [27]. This points to a potential lost opportunity in that caregivers may be able to assist remote clinicians during video sessions by setting up the environment, operating the camera, or providing standby supervision.…”

“…Caregivers may bridge the divide between older adults and in-home video telehealth. However, our recent scoping review of caregiver involvement in OT in-home video telehealth found little research examining caregivers' support role [27]. Given the breadth of OT services, which may involve hands-on provision of care and an emphasis on visualizing the patient and the environment, understanding the caregiver support role in OT video visits has potential applicability to myriad medical services delivered via video sessions by a range of clinician disciplines.…”

Optimizing Telehealth Strategies for Rehabilitation

“…The increasing aging population has created a demand for e-health technologies that support healthy aging, reduce health care costs, and address the limited availability of health care professionals 1,2. These technologies encompass various information and communication technologies used in health care settings, including remote monitoring technologies (RMTs) 3-5. RMTs allow for the remote monitoring of individuals' health and the transmission of data to health care providers for review.…”