Telehealth: A Rapidly Developing Service Delivery Model for Occupational Therapy

Abstract

Over the past decade, the practice of occupational therapy has been increasingly influenced by technological advances in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and associated changes in health care policy. Emergent from this evolution is the application of telehealth to deliver occupational therapy services to a client who is in a different physical location than the provider. This article furnishes an overview of the evidence for telehealth use in occupational therapy, discusses key policy considerations, and provides resources to guide practitioners in the ethical use of telehealth.

Perspectives on the use of a telehealth service-delivery model as a component of school-based occupational therapy practice: Designing a user-experience

“…The evidence literature provides support for the use of a telehealth service-delivery model in occupational therapy (OT) practice within various settings. The use of telehealth in pediatric occupational therapy has been shown to be effective by increasing access to specialist care and preventing delays in provision of services (Cason, 2014), increasing collaboration and carry-over of treatment strategies (Gibbs & Toth-Cohen, 2011), and improving overall therapist/client satisfaction (Ashburner, 2016;Criss, 2013;Reifenberg, et al, 2017;Zylstra, 2013). Despite the effectiveness of a telehealth service-delivery model, the use of telehealth in occupational therapy practice is limited, potentially due to a lack of knowledge about telehealth.Education is a critical factor necessary to promote successful implementation of telehealth in clinical practice (Nissen & Brockevelt, 2016).…”

Five Licensure Portability Models for the Counseling Profession to Consider

“…The FLM and NLM provide seamless administration of the licensing process across the country, making these models suitable for telehealth services (Cason, 2014; Cohn et al, 2011). However, the sovereignty of a state is challenged by the FLM or NLM.…”

“…The FLM and NLM may not be viable for the counseling profession in the United States regardless of the ease and benefits of the models. Counseling, as with other health professions, faces challenges in applying these models because of the different state laws governing the profession and the potentially different nature of the counseling profession in some states (Cason, 2014; CNPELPW, 2013). The implications of the FLM and NLM for practitioners and clients in the United States have yet to be examined thoroughly, due to a scarcity of examples and recent attempts with these models.…”

“…Licensure portability models such as the FLM or NLM may provide enhanced convenience for clients and counselors to practice across state lines but have a common challenge of procedural delays as well as resistance from state boards providing licensing oversight and administration. Recognizing the challenge to state sovereignty, many professions have adopted alternative approaches, such as MRM compacts and expedited licensing (Cason, 2014). Some professions expanded the MRM to incorporate the LLM facilitated by a national professional association because it provides a possibility to expand the compact nationwide when there are many more states using the same model languages.…”

Telehealth delivery of remote assessment of wheelchair and seating needs for adults and children: A scoping review (Preprint)

“…Potential advantages of telehealth WS assessment have been enthusiastically reported [9,11]. However an indepth analysis of what telehealth WS assessment entails, for whom, and under what technological and medical conditions telehealth WS assessment is safe and effective, is lacking [12].…”