Parent’s Perspective on Teletherapy of Pediatric Population with Speech and Language Disorder During Covid-19 Lockdown in India

Abstract

Aim : The pandemic COVID-19 led to the sudden imposition of lockdown and travel restrictions worldwide, that made tele practice one of the most viable options for various hospitals and healthcare centres. The present study aimed at exploring the parental perspective on teletherapy, for children having speech and language delay, during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Material & method : A total of 100 parents with children with speech and language delays and who have undergone a minimum of five teletherapy sessions at a tertiary care hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were recruited. A questionnaire with 12 close-ended questions was administered over the phone call to know the parent’s perspective on the impact of teletherapy and its benefits. The responses obtained were tabulated and calculated for percentage response to each question. Result : Around 95% of parents reported improved motivation for speech-language therapy for their child due to teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and 96% of parents were satisfied with receiving teletherapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Furthermore, 90% of parents found teletherapy is more cost-effective than in-person therapy, but 88% believe face-to-face consultation is also required after some time (approx. after six months). Conclusion : The overall result suggested that parents had a positive attitude towards the teletherapy sessions. They reported the therapy sessions to be very effective and compliant, and it can be an efficient alternative with more structured implementation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03310-y.

Pilot Implementation Outcomes of a Community-Based Tele- Practice Model for Identification and Rehabilitation of Children with Hearing loss within a Public-health system of a Rural District in Southern India

“…In a study it was found that majority of the patients partially trusted the therapist in audio-video communication (19). These results are found to be similar with another study (32), where majority of the felt that tele-therapy was convenient, costeffective and improved the attendance of the sessions. But some had reported about the increased use of gadgets and screen time for their children.…”

Examining the Technical Issues in Teletherapy for Children with Developmental Delays

“…This phenomenon corresponded to the previous studies. Caregivers' self-assurance in evaluating uncertain symptoms increased during (asynchronous) telemedicine sessions, which helped them gauge the severity of their children's sickness and establish whether they need further expert treatment or not (Langkamp et al, 2015), and feeling highly motivated '' (Sikka, 2023). Because of this, they now understand their issues better, are less anxious, and feel more accepted (Saptandari et al, 2022).…”

“…Both patients and therapists' experiences were consistent with past studies. By providing accessible therapeutic alternatives to patients in remote areas, teletherapy helped cut expenses and staff shortages (Kotera et al, 2021;Stoll et al, 2020), thus making it more economical than in-person sessions (Sikka, 2023).…”